To those like myself who have been researching and broadcasting the seriousness of what is implied in Climate Change for many years now, it comes as somewhat of a relief, that nearly all sides of politics in 2007 have dropped the dismissive climate change rebuttals. So pretty much all of Australia agrees we have a big problem looming. But who among our leaders is willing or knows how to act?
Douglas has advanced to the higher grades of the Cities for Climate Protection - Grade 5 to 6 and Cairns is closer to the lower grade 2 as I understand and Douglas’s input can only help urge Cairns to accelerate its Climate Change protection upgraded.
My interest and concerns around this subject are strong, so strong that just about all my disposable income is currently seed funding design work in a project to producethe world’s leading prototype of fast, fuel efficient, emission minimalist marine transport. The project is under design in the offices of our leading fast ferry naval architects, One 2 three Design, in association with the countries best marine research unit at the Australian Marine College, in Launceston.
The Trybrid Project, www.trybrid.org which I manage and seed fund, is developing a 33.5m prototype of solar hybrid trimaran, using common rail, diesel electric propulsion systems with photovoltaic and battery stored boost and a central hull where the beam is barely 7% of the waterline length. In Port Douglas, we have pioneered the fast ferry development with the wave piercing catamaran, but the rising cost of fuel, looming peak oil and creeping climate change are demanding preparedness for new transport modes.

I have also been instrumental in the development of a new sustainability code to reduce energy use in commercial buildings as discussed earlier and which I can email you if interested. On climate change, some talk about it, others walk the walk.

The October 2007 the CSIRO update on climate change predicted an almost doubling of the previous estimate of destructive tidal inundations for Cairns and environs.
Professor Jonathon Nott, using geomorphology to estimate the cycle times of very destructive storms, points to pretty solid evidence that pre-climate change, super storms occur every 200 years, not over every 1000 years as the Met Bureau had once argued, based on the Met Bureau’s useless extrapolation of only about 35 years of data, compared to thousands of years data in Professor Nott’s files.
The super storms that are evidenced by Prof Nott are frightening in their power, with wave action as far inland as the Smithfield shopping centre. The cycle times at around every 200 years are BEFORE climate change is factored into the equation. This research points to risks 10 times higher than the Bureau of Meteorology would have us believe, again , before climate change is factored in. So Cairns and Douglas are in a lot more potential danger than we were led to believe 10 years back. Nearly all of Division 10, except Mossman, are living on or near the coast, on easily inundated coastal lowlands. If any community in Australia should be alert and alarmed to the impacts of climate change, its Douglas, Palm Cove and Clifton Beach. Any leader of this area should be on top of the facts, with a well read copy of the Weather Makers at hand.
It was only 10,000 years ago that you could walk and hunt all the way out the edge of the GBR drop off, nothing stays the same.
So for those of us with homes close the beach like me, we need to be ready for change ahead. In terms of planning, my view is we need to rethink opening up more land for housing on lowlands behind the beach. In Douglas, in the late 90’s, when huge tracts of land where opened up for housing just behind the southern 4 Mile Beach mangroves, and north of, and alongside of the Mowbray River, probably one of the biggest mistakes in Douglas’s planning history was enshrined.
This growth should not have occurred on low, sand fly ridden land with no sand hill protection and had it been a 2007 decision, the growth should have been back from the coast on slightly elevated land, along the foothills of the backdrop mountains and ridges. This does not mean building up hillsides, it means building on the potential foothill zone, away from storm surge.
As the predictions and data builds, so too will the debate about whether new green field sites should be opened up along lowland coastal fringes. I urge caution in Councils willing to approve subdivisions which may well last 200-300 years as a title, but which may not last 70 years as a safe habitable space.
Other climate change issues should be pursued. For example, in Douglas, I introduced a policy that would have our community be carbon neutral by 2020.
Part of this plan focuses on renewable energy, with opportunities for mini-hydro, for co-generation at the Mill, and methane from waste production. This, coupled to extension in photovoltaic boosters and solar hot water, which when combined to policies to reduce building and marine fuel use, make the 2020 goal feasible. These ideas are being backed by communities which are developing now, all over Europe, where locals are simply making their own grid power from multiple small local sources. It not rocket science.
Currently we burn more than 40% of our power just in the transmission lines feeding power from down south. If Cairns and Douglas are going to have a prosperous future, we as a community should start thinking outside of the square when it comes to the security of our energy supply in the long term.

We are as a distant tourism destination, subject to the issues around travel and CO2. Another policy I introduced to Douglas, was a study to see if we could offer carbon credits from local sequestration projects for inbound travellers. This was prompted at the request of local inbound operators who were noticing buyer resistance from European travellers, guilty about their carbon footprint from travel and in conjunction with the local NRM, it seemed my proposition is entirely possible. I just hope that the CRC won’t drop the ball on this idea.

The Douglas Shire is well advanced with its Cities for Climate Change preparedness, and Douglas employs its own Sustainability Officer, Maree Grenfell whose work easily pays its own way, through power savings within Council. This position is very important to maintain as the DSC merges into the CRC and the position’s long term planning significance cannot be understated. Will other candidates support this ongoing work?

CONTACT ROD DAVIS: vote@roddavis.org

MOBILE: 0418 235561 or HOME: 0740 994434

MAIL PO BOX 714, Port Douglas, 4877.