It hasn’t exactly been easy being in the sugar business over the last several years. The Mill is looking like crushing its 500,000 to 600,000 tonnes each year and will not be back to the big turnover of 1.2 million tonnes of earlier years. This being the case, it’s important to the Mill, to the growers and the Council, that cane land stay as cane land. In running for a seat at the CRC, my view is the Division 10’s councillor must be active in defending the close relationship between sugar and the council that has seen the history of Douglas Shire Council overflowing with Mill or cane growing directors and patriarchs.
Douglas has worked closely with the Mill in its attempts to diversify and explore co-generation. It is important that any councillor representing this area have an understanding of the history and issues and whilst I am no cane farmer, I hope it can be said that I understand the issues as I will be advocating the defense of the sugar farming’s supply side.
The issue of diverting the sugar hauling trucks of the suburban streets of Mossman is one where the CRC will need to support the Mill, in providing the back route to the Mill of the Cooya feed. This is an area that will take heat off the bin deliveries, but which will need a Council spend to extend the roads and make the link and if you are living in Mossman and don’t like the noise, then let’s as a community, try and get the diverted route to the Mill built.
Its hats off to the local cane farmers, whose efforts to reduce erosion and nutriment runoff are some of the best on the coast. I’m pushing for the roadside drains on Douglas to be slowly converted from deep V cuts, to spooned and grassed drains which we can more easily mow, grass holds back erosion and so we don’t need to poison the weeds in the drains that can’t be mowed.
I admit to having concerns about spray residues, despite the Monsanto spin and I also think it looks crook to line scenic shire roads with dead, poisoned weeds. Mown drains would look neater, leave less spray residue and would add less sediment to the GBR basin.
With only 500-600,000 tonnes through the Mill, it is more important than ever, that what is remaining as cane now, stays that way.

CONTACT ROD DAVIS: vote@roddavis.org

MOBILE: 0418 235561 or HOME: 0740 994434

MAIL:  PO BOX 714, Port Douglas, 4877.