IN a heated exchange with Douglas Shire Mayor Julia Leu, Councillor David Carey today refused to endorse Council’s operational plan for 2017-18 saying it lacked vision and does not outline what the shire ‘will look like’ in the next 10-20 years.

At a special Council meeting where the operational plan and budget for 2017-18 were presented, Carey – the lone councillor to vote against the plan – said an opportunity had been missed to devise a vision for the future.

And when Leu responded to Carey’s arguments, he constantly interjected and had to be reminded (by Leu) that she had listened when he had the floor. At one point, Leu said with a raised voice: “Excuse me, it’s my turn.”

But Carey did make the point he believed the Shire has no vision for the future.

“What concerns me is that there is no over-arching vision. The Town Plan talks about developing new industries. But it does not specify which industries we should be pursuing. It does not talk about how we are going to diversify the economy, nor our engagement with the Indigenous community.

“I cannot support a plan that does not outline where we are going and where we will be 20 years from now. My feeling is that we have gone from one operational plan to the next. There is simply no vision for the shire,” said Carey.

A visibly annoyed Leu questioned whether Carey had, in fact, read the plan and why he had chosen today’s meeting to raise his concerns.

“We have been working on this for months and I don’t understand why you have decided to raise the issue now," she said.

“I also reject outright that we have no vision. We have numerous projects in progress – the Town Plan, the economic development and arts strategic plans – and we are engaging with all sections of the community.

"And despite what you said, we are engaging on a regular basis with the Indigenous community."

The Operational Plan, meanwhile, outlines Council’s key projects which includes the development of a Master Plan for the Port Douglas Waterfront Precinct Strategy; securing the future of the marine industry; submitting the site of Stage 2 of the Mossman nursing home site to the market for sale and development; and completing Stages 3 and 4 of a Coastal Hazard Adaptation Strategy for the Douglas Shire.

Council will also be launching new projects that will benefit the economic, social and environmental sustainability of the shire.

This includes the establishment of economic development task forces as recommended in the Economic Development Strategy to identify priority actions and opportunities, as well as advocating Federal and State Governments for funding to establish a domestic violence refuge in Douglas.

The budget for the same period was endorsed without incident and Council revealed it will deliver another record capital works program of $20 million and “remains on track to achieve a budget surplus within two years”.

Major capital works investments over the next 12 months includes more than $10.6 million for water treatment infrastructure including the construction of the new Port Douglas reservoir ($8.4 million); almost $3.2 million for civil works (including $1.2 million for road reseal program); and around $2 million for sewerage upgrades.

Capital works projects scheduled for the new financial year include the completion of the spectacular Flagstaff Hill Walking Trail ($260,000); an upgrade of the Diwan Sound Shell and cricket club shed ($180,000); and a renewal of George Davis Park in Mossman ($50,000).

The relevant plans are available on Council’s website.