Dear Editor,

I am disappointed to learn that the Labor Party has derailed Douglas Shire ratepayers’ opportunity to let Council know what type of year-round safe swimming spot they would like in Port Douglas.

The Member for Cook has announced without any consultation whatsoever that the ALP will fund a splash pool in the Douglas Shire. This is despite the Shire Mayor Michael Kerr having already said Council would today start a survey to gauge what the community wanted and clarify the demand for this facility.

This pre-emptive move seems indicative of how the Member for Cook now seeks to make herself relevant to Port Douglas residents, having ignored them for the last three years. 

Cr Kerr said the survey would be an opportunity for ratepayers to tell Council exactly what type of year-round safe swimming spot they wanted before it developed responsible options that were financially viable and sensitive to the delicate water security issues Council faced.

But the ALP has treated ratepayers’ as-yet-unknown wishes with disdain and decided they need a splash pool like the one on Cooktown.

It’s all very well for the Member for Cook to make a knee-jerk announcement of $1.5m for a splash pool but it is totally unresearched and leaves many questions unanswered. Where’s the evidence that Douglas Shire residents want a splash pool rather than a waterpark? Who is going to fund its ongoing running and maintenance?

Just funding the construction of a splash pool without first gauging demand or considering ongoing costs could just end up being a financial albatross for the Council.

Let’s hope it’s not another Cook ALP funding promise that hasn’t been well thought through, like the Newell Beach Boat Ramp that was to have been built in 2019 but has been pushed out again to April next year.

Yours sincerely,

Nipper Brown
LNP Candidate for Cook