He put the following question to a number of business leaders and government officials:

How important is the upgrade to Port Douglas and the region as a whole?

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Alex de Waal, Tourism Tropical North Queensland Chief Executive Officer:

The Great Barrier Reef is the number one drawcard for visitors to the region. Tropical North Queensland is the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and we welcome investment in suitable infrastructure that will enhance the reputation of our destination by giving visitors greater access to this World Heritage area.

Hon. Dr Anthony Lynham MP, Minister for State Development and Minister for Natural Resources and Mines:

The Government is supportive of the successful re-development of the Port Douglas Waterfront Precinct as have been a number of previous Queensland Governments.

The provision of any funds to the Council, by the State, is contingent on the developer, The Reef Marina, fulfilling the conditions of offer which include written confirmation from council that the development will not diminish marine-based activities.

The most recent correspondence from council suggests that an agreement with TMR and the council has not yet been reached. The success of the redevelopment is in the hands of the Council and the developer.

As stated above, the Government remains supportive of the successful redevelopment of the Port Douglas Waterfront Precinct.

The Hon. Warren Entsch MP, Federal Member for Leichhardt & Chair of the Joint Select Committee on Northern Australia:

The refurbishment of the Port Douglas marina precinct is absolutely vital.At its core, the marina reflects what Port Douglas is all about – it is the ‘Port’ element of ‘Port Douglas’.

Unfortunately, for much of the time since that heyday, it has been sorely neglected and the current upgrade of this critical piece of infrastructure is long overdue.

I commend the new owners of The Reef Marina for their vision and their investment to date, the work that has already been done and the extensive work that is underway.

It does however, concern me when there is talk by Douglas Shire Council of compulsory resumption of parts of the marina precinct; this does not send a strong message of cooperation and may jeopardise further investment in the development.

As a community, we need to be supporting and encouraging The Reef Marina in their endeavours – let’s see the precinct revitalised so it is again the beating heart of Port Douglas.

Helen De Ross, President, Douglas Chamber of Commerce:

We are reinforcing the business community’s support for The Reef Marina’s Waterfront Redevelopment Master Plan. The iconic Reef Marina is home to more than 100 businesses in Port Douglas, and is clearly the nerve centre for business activity in Port Douglas, and indeed the Shire.

After more than 10 years of neglect and previous owners’ inaction, it is re-assuring to see the vision of the new owners – Andrew Hooper-Nguyen, Chris Ellis and Rob Cruz – materialise through their recent Master Plan submission.

Once implemented, the re-development will have an immediate positive impact, and will quickly return The Reef Marina to the central Tourist Destination in Port Douglas. This will not only benefit the 100 businesses based in the Reef Marina, but will also multiply the benefits through the remainder of the town and the Shire.

The Chamber also supports a sustainable Commercial Fishing Industry, and we welcome the recent decision by the fishermen to re-locate to the southern end of the Marina adjacent to Lot 96.

The Reef Marina proposes to construct a dedicated Trawler Berthing Facility, which will be leased to the fishermen on a long-term basis. These berths will have a long-term lease with a Commercial Fishing caveat that is only accessible by Council-controlled land.

We feel this secures the tenure of the Commercial Fishing Industry in Port Douglas, negating the requirement for Douglas Shire Council to purchase Lot 146 at an expense to the community. Given the security of the Commercial Fishing Industry, we do not support the unprecedented, forced acquisition of land from one business to be gifted to another business.

This sets a dangerous precedent for other industries expecting the same support going forward. The Commercial Fishing Industry will, in turn, seek to acquire or lease the land adjacent to Lot 96, and establish a base from which to sell fresh and cooked seafood, as well as support Trawler operations.

This is a win-win for all parties, and seems to be the perfect solution to secure the future of the Commercial Fishing Industry, and at the same time add the Seafood Precinct, as yet another reason to visit Port Douglas and the Shire.

Cathie Jones, Owner of Tropical Journeys:

I believe the upgrade to the Marina is vitally important to Port Douglas and the region.  It will provide a first-class waterfront precinct, create more jobs for locals and be a great drawcard to the tourism industry.

As there will be direct waterfront access with cafes and restaurants it will allow everyone living or visiting Port Douglas to enjoy the beautiful view of the surrounding mountains and Daintree region.  Providing direct access to the fishing fleet is a win-win situation for everyone.

Tara Bennett, Executive Officer TPDD Tourism Port Douglas Daintree:

Since the new owners took over the Marina they have completed some wonderful development beneficial to tourism in the region. We wish them every success with meeting the required criteria and continuing with their further development plans.

NOTE: A number of business leaders; tourism, hotel and resort operators were provided with ample opportunity to respond to the aforementioned question, but failed to do so.