I may have got some people's noses out of joint a couple of weeks ago by suggesting there are some grudges held amongst people in town which results in Port Douglas not being all it can be (to steal a US Army propaganda tag line).

Whether you agree with me on that point or not, I think it's clear there are areas for improvement in how stakeholders within the town, be they government or private, communicate with each other.

Enter the Melbourne Business School.

This group of 30 men and women will be keeping a close eye on Port over the next few months to set out a framework for future prosperity.

It is so important that the public don't see these students in the same light as, say, a group of Year 10 work experience kids (not that they're not valued mind you).

These people are intelligent, driven professionals and should be treated as such. Their work and their recommendations, when delivered in a final report in May 2012, need to be taken on board and most importantly, acted upon.

There's another expression; "If it is to be, it's up to me," or in this case "we" as it will take a committed response from ALL sectors and individuals to implement the plan.

As Doug Calvert of the Port Douglas Chamber of Commerce pointed out, the interesting aspect of the whole process will be just how responsive we'll be to the "open door policy," letting these people see exactly how we operate.

In the end the consultants will do their bit. Time will tell if we're prepared to do ours.

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