It is a great shame that camping in division 10 is slowly becoming an endangered activity. I have maybe an old fashioned view, a sort of egalitarian, thongs and boardies attitude to camping that says the thousands of campers who have made, or still make annual pilgrimages to our sunny beaches are a vital part of the colorful tapestry in what makes up our communities’ character. I caution against seeing all campers disappear, to be replaced by the Gucci-wannabe crowd that now rules Hastings St, Noosa, where years back, there was once a funky mix of European chic with Aussie campers, but with the Hastings St camping grounds now buried under tourism apartments, things have changed.
It’s for this reason I was arguably the loudest proponent of ongoing camper rights in our shire. I say the Council camping at Wonga should continue, despite hydraulic issues. I also say Port Douglas’s lone remaining in-town camping ground should be extended onto space east of the tennis courts and north of the cricket fields.
I pushed for the study into the decline in camping opportunities in Douglas, with an eye over my shoulder to the growth in the grey nomads and the huge increase in motor home registrations. The report, still in staged progression, has so far, failed to get traction towards any meaningful analysis, however.
In Palm Cove, the same pressures repeat with the same cause but different symptoms.

The famous Palm Cove camping ground went through is own controversy in late 2005, as the planned rerouting of the road to the jetty and the reduction in size of the camping area seemed more about response to development pressure rather than an egalitarian acceptance of both up-market tourism sitting comfortably with traditional camping. The community pointed to what they saw as a conflict of interest, when a developer’s options report on the feasibility of boardwalk came forth in interesting alignment with CCC outcomes. Palm Cove traders who battle for a car spaces, resulted in pressure for one end of the caravan park to be used as a car park. And as planned, foreshore commercial and public facilities squeezed the campers even more, an intervention on consultation times, a $9 million funding issue and 2 year decision delay returned the plan to the public’s original request for a simple facility update. It’s not easy being a camping ground in Douglas or Palm Cove.
But whilst yes, we can push into the 6 star market in tourism, it’s important to keep the mix with the 1 star travellers alive and well.
Those who hold their land without development rights north of the Daintree should not, in my view, be disallowed from camping on their own land, contrary to current DSC laws, and accordingly I raised recent motions pushing for a relaxation that would allow Daintree landowners ability to camp short term on their own land.

CONTACT ROD DAVIS: vote@roddavis.org

MOBILE: 0418 235561 or HOME: 0740 994434

MAIL: PO BOX 714, Port Douglas, 4877.