LETTER | Progressive positive election result for Douglas
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Dear Editor,
With the election now over I am very excited about the prospects of finally getting an animal refuge in Douglas.
Through the recent grant funding by Warren Entsch and the Federal Government, we will be very much heading in the right way to having it open sooner rather than later, which will still be long overdue.
Many great projects will also be underway such as the Wangetti Trail and Mossman Mill Bio precinct. A stunning new recycled plastic white picket fence for the football oval, and I am also very excited for the residents in the Daintree who have been fighting for mains quality power for so long, and with the results of this election are most certainly a step closer.
It’s interesting to see the result of the election which your Newsport journalist Victoria Stone-Meadows has published which shows the obvious difference to what the polls were predicting. The opinion of the majority of Douglas was that Warren and the LNP were by far the better choice.
The other parties followed well behind with KAP 7.1%, One Nation 6.6%, United Australia 4.5% with the sole Leichhardt independent at 2.1%. Graciously the member for Fraser Anning’s Party came in at an appropriate placement of last, securing only 1.6% of the votes in Douglas.
The irony of all these results was the 6.7% of informal votes showing that many in Douglas prefer no one over One Nation and that sadly in Leichhardt 24.29% of eligible voters didn’t even bother to vote, showing the lethargy when it comes to today’s politics.
So, totally against the polls Douglas clearly wanted the LNP and Warren back in place in Canberra which must surely give confidence to the returning member that his vision and choices, along with his party’s commitments, were clearly preferred.
Amongst his many commitments was of course the promise of power to the Daintree, having a shovel-ready concept plan of environmentally-friendly mini grids with the availability of mains equivalent power and modern telecommunications to those who reside across the Daintree River. A topic I have followed and continue to be supportive of.
If the election result is anything to go by, again a clear majority of voters on the electoral role are in support of Warren and his plan to power the Daintree. The results in Diwan on first preference showed 40.3% to LNP compared to 20.1% for LAB and 20.9% for the Greens. On the two party, the gap rightfully lessoned with the addition of the politically stronger environmentally parties to LIB 54% and LAB 45%.
I’m sure this result would most certainly give Warren and those wanting power comfort in the vote, clearly showing a confident want for these mini grids in the Daintree, though I can only assume that the powers that be on a state level may continue their pursuits in yet again another study at the cost of another million dollars to the tax coffer.
Add to this our local environmental group which will attempt to prolong the process as long as possible in an attempt to keep diesel generators and poor services the norm in the Daintree, which they believe is protecting it from over development.
Don’t get me wrong. I am very much in support of protecting one of the Shire’s greatest assets, but I do believe that humans and the Daintree can exist in harmony and have power too.
We have many processes in place to protect it from development and if Paws and Claws’ attempt to purchase land at Yule Point is any example of the power of environmental lobby groups, the chances of over developing this National Park is slim at best.
So regardless of your political persuasion it will certainly be interesting and hopefully progressive times ahead.
Congratulations to Warren and I look forward to seeing the steps as we move forward with some amazing and ground breaking projects in Douglas.
- Michael Kerr, President, Douglas Theatre Arts Group & Homeless Animal Society and Douglas Animal Welfare Group.
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