Port Douglas could once fairly and squarely claim to be Australia’s ‘Premier Resort” town. Could we say it now?

I somehow think not. But there are some steps we can make to compete our way back to the premier league. But it will take money, vision and a can-do attitude.
For many years, there has been a general attitude inside the DSC that inferred that all street based public infrastructure can be provided by developers, to the point where the DSC has been asleep at the wheel when it comes to remaining competitive with Palm Cove and even Hamilton Island.
Developers have indeed contributed substantially to the building of Port Douglas infrastructure. But we cannot rely on perpetuation of boom property conditions to keep the heavily trafficked public areas in good shape.
Waterfront as an aside, Port Douglas needs a $6-8 million, backyard blitz in Macrossan, Warner, Wharf Streets and the Four Mile Beach Esplanade. There is some $13 million in saleable land assets being donated to the CRC by Douglas. The busy communal spaces need a lift, more than that we need to hold onto residential land affronting the links golf course. Yes, sure, Douglas is almost debt free, but by the same token, its house is not in perfect order. There are 370km of dirt roads in Douglas, for example.
To flesh out what I mean by serious backyard blitz, what I have in mind for Macrossan Street is homogeneous street paving, (and not using cheap, concrete pavers, dyed to look like clay pavers). Lighting in a friendly tone is needed all throughout the Port CBD. Footpaths that are struggling to cope with the season’s pedestrian traffic need extending where ever possible to widen them.
We need PUBLIC ART!!! We also need in-town toilets. Landscaping needs a revamp, and areas such as the Macrossan/Grant Sts intersection need plantings and shade . We also must do a blitz on signage, tidying up inconsistent and ugly council signs and tragic DSC street signage that uses ”Ye Olde English” font to direct cars. The private and unchecked signage sprawls that will lead to a decline in Port’s popularity must go. I made some considerable fuss about Douglas cowboy signage rules that are turning Macrossan St into Mulgrave Road and whilst the sign tidy-up is sure to offend the me me me crew, please consider, that if we all cry me me me over our signage excesses, we will all jointly suffer as tea towel and cheap T-shirt sales take over our CBD retail.
My fuss resulted in the DSC staffing the compliance issue, but this work has only just begun.
I understand if the sign was erected after June 2002 without some kind of Council OK , it’s in trouble.
The Esplanade still needs a major upgrade, with better stair access and an end to erosion from road to beach, with more user friendly spots for coffee, exercise and public art.
Warner Street is a mess of bad paving, drainage drama, no lighting and half way finished tree plantings. As this street has similar zoning to Macrossan, we should plan now, get landscaping in and not wait until the mess log jams before fixing it.
Wharf Street needs its alfresco dinning areas extended 4 metres out in front of the curb line and parking changed to parallel rather then perpendicular arrangement.
In Front Street Mossman, we need to get underway street plantings now the overhead power lines are buried.

 

CONTACT ROD DAVIS: vote@roddavis.org

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