Weddings ruined by playground location say local event planners
Council playground proposal
According to key Port Douglas wedding industry players, a proposed children's playground in Rex Smeal Park could be the worst thing to happen to the local marriage market.
While they're not opposed to a playground for kids, they're angry over where it's being built.
The ‘green ants’ kids adventure playground in Rex Smeal Park put up by the Douglas Shire Council has also got many Newsport readers stirred up with suggestions that weddings and photos of the happy event in the park will be ruined by the playground being there.
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A poll conducted by Newsport back in September last year asked readers if they approved of the design of the playground.
It threw up a big NO.
While some Newsport readers, like the wedding industry are supporting a playground, many others have slammed the idea.
Tammy Barker is typical of those who are against the location of the playground "Has Douglas Shire Council considered the noise that may come from the playground and the effect on large numbers of daily weddings held at Little Cove?"
Douglas Shire Mayor Michael Kerr says Council wanted to build a special playground that would attract families from neighbouring regions to Port Douglas.
“Like children, green ants love climbing so we feel paying homage to this iconic ant is a creative way to encourage more visitors to enjoy our wonderful area"
But local wedding planners are not married to the idea.
Byron Kurth from Port Douglas Weddings and Hire told Newsport "the playground needs to be in another part of the park or behind out of the way so it doesn't take away from the wedding experience under the fig tree, besides it's going to be very hard to police the kids playing while weddings take place"
Nick White from Eventcore and Port Douglas Wedding Venues says that engaged couples wouldn't be wrapped in the idea, consider what they'd say, hey babe let's get married in Port Douglas and send all our 100 guests to Rex Smeal Park to stand under some massive ant with screaming kids. Come on, let's find a better solution even 100m away with some sails, vegetation screening and no lights so they all go to bed at a reasonable hour"
Bec from Dragonfly Weddings and Events is another opponent to the playground proposal "I'm in favour of kids having a playground but not under that tree, it would impinge on weddings"
Bec says she has two weddings booked under the fig tree for later in the year, but now both are in jeopardy.
A Douglas Shire Council Spokesperson told Newsport that Council has already undertaken a thorough public consultation on the proposed playground and sought comments from a wide section of the Shire.
They went on to say they've made at least half a dozen changes to the final concept design to accommodate concerns raised by the events industry during that consultation last year, some of which include the playground location being shifted slightly, so the main play space is on the opposite side of the fig tree to where events are held and landscaping improvements to block out the amenities block.
Green Ant Playground is being touted by Council to be an 'iconic' draw card for local and visiting families, encouraging people to stay and play longer in Port Douglas.
View Douglas Shire Council's final concept plans below for the proposed Rex Park playground