Another news outlet in the form of a free weekly newspaper could enter the shire if Council approves a funding request for $10,000 towards supporting the Cape York Weekly to commence a community newspaper, at Tuesday’s ordinary meeting in Mossman.

If approved, the funding will come from the People and Community Services operational budget.

The recommendation, according to the minutes, notes that Council staff will develop KPI’s for the allocated funding.

The publisher of the Cape York Weekly is currently preparing to start up the Douglas Shire-based newspaper early next year and has requested grant funding to assist with this process.

It is a community paper owned and operated by editor/publisher Matt Nicholls out of Weipa. The paper is a commercial entity.

The editor, who would re-locate to Douglas Shire, has requested $10,000.00 to assist with the purchase of office equipment to produce the weekly newspaper. The masthead would be printed in Townsville and re-named to reflect the Douglas Shire.

The editor will approach local businesses for advertising revenue and anticipates over 2,000 copies will be printed for distribution in prominent locations, according to the minutes. 

In a letter to Council, the Cape York Weekly Publisher conveyed his confidence in the ongoing success of the new Douglas Shire’s weekly paper in light of the News Limited’s closure of the Gazette due to financial restraints saying, “it didn't take long for Cape York Weekly to become sustainable and prosperous. That was done with the backing of Rio Tinto, which simply just made an annual advertising spend commitment.”

Councillors will decide on the funding application in this Tuesday’s Ordinary Council Meeting.

View the full Council report here.

Other items on the agenda for the Ordinary Council meeting on Tuesday, 24 November at 10am are:

• 3.1 Mayoral Minute – Employee Recognition Awards 2020
• 5.1 Financial Report October 2020
• 5.2 Revised Budget 2020-2021
• 5.3 Capital Works Progress Report for the 1st Quarter 2020-2021
• 5.4 Contract 2021-036 Port Douglas Wastewater Treatment Plant UV Disinfection System
• 5.5 Contract 2021-008 – Parks Renewal Program 2020/21 – Playgrounds
• 5.6 Contract WO5243 – Junction Creek Cycleway Bridge Construction
• 5.7 Bridges Renewal Program Round 5 – Warners Bridge and Anichs Bridge
• 5.8 Request for Funding – Cape York Weekly
• 5.9 Port Douglas Sports Complex and Coronation Park Masterplan – Final plan
• 5.10 New Lease – Mossman Horse Riding Club Inc

The meeting is closed to the public because of health and safety reasons associated with the public health emergency involving COVID-19.

Council live-streams each meeting, which can be viewed any time during and after the meeting.

An audio of the meeting will also be available on the Council website at the time the minutes are made available.