Maybe the joking title of Douglas’ ‘minister for art and culture’ is a bit rich, my name is Davis, not Da Vinci, but during my run, I have tried to bring some renaissance to some worthy projects in art and culture.
For example, through months of maneuvering I managed to get the Art and Culture component of Carnivale boosted by $25K .
I fought hard to try and get the community art schools housed at the Sugar wharf, which worked for a while, until Building Code of Aust issues interrupted and whilst the interruption continued, I eventually managed to get support to fund the repairs to the Sugar Wharf to make it again used by the community, whilst arranging temporary, low cost access for community art classes at the PD Community Hall. I will continue to push for community use of the sugar wharf if elected.
The proposal I have put forward to sell land to build a substantive art and cultural centre has seen repeated attempts to have the State assist fall on deaf ears, so it’s on with the activism. The School of Arts block, set aside to teach art over 100 year ago, has so far over the last 100 years produced not a single artistic brush stroke. The potential sale of this walled in Macrossan Street block, worth some $2M, has the capacity to fund a terrific art and cultural centre either in the waterfront precinct, or next to the Mowbray St Community Centre and Arthouse have had plans drawn and their aspirations remain founded if they have leadership willing to push their plans.
In the interim, the political abrasion that has seen the Port Douglas community art groups without a home will see a pavilion style community art centre built near the community hall next year.
DAB, the terrific art community in Mossman have their own needs, particularly in pottery and ceramics and I recently successfully pushed to get $25K to DAB for an added shed style extension for their Mossman base.
There is a huge artistic community in the newly created Division 10.
If elected, I will be continue to actively support this sector and it is hoped that the CRC marriage will in fact help, not hinder the art community, as the old DSC years saw a council slow to respond to its growing artistic community’s needs.
One area where Douglas has done well, by comparison to Cairns, is in its ability to attract RADF grant funding, where there is a 50: 50 state/local funds source and where Douglas attracts several times greater per head of population RADF support than Cairns. Again, it’s my aim, if elected to both maintain Douglas’s current RADF funding whilst urging is expansion and support in Cairns. I sit on the RADF committee and compliment all its recipients whilst pushing to see others, who have applied without success, to eventually get their day in the sun.

CONTACT ROD DAVIS: vote@roddavis.org

MOBILE: 0418 235561 or HOME: 0740 994434

MAIL: PO BOX 714, Port Douglas, 4877.