Pet shelter faces fight
A LEGAL stoush over a proposed Port Douglas animal shelter is in the offing after an appeal was filed in the Planning and Environment Court this week.
Homeless Animal Society and Boarding Kennels president Michael Kerr said he was “angry and disheartened” that the Douglas Shire Council approval for the Craiglie Paws and Claws shelter was being challenged.
The appellants are five men who work in the Teamsters Close industrial park where the proposed shelter would be located.
“We are angry, upset and quite frankly extremely disheartened that this selfish and uncalled for action will not only waste ratepayer money with council defending their decision but also waste donated funds of Paws and Claws,” Mr Kerr posted on social media this week.
He said he had met a solicitor about the appeal and would engage a barrister.
“We have 10 days to respond and we have instructed a barrister so we can move as fast as possible,” Mr Kerr said.
“We have seen so much support, people are horrified.”
The appeal includes five pages of objections such as the development “is contrary to good town planning principles”, that the shelter was inconsistent with the council’s intent for the Craiglie industrial area and did not support the Port Douglas tourism and marine industries.
Mr Kerr said plans for the shelter were over-engineered to satisfy concerns.
“I don’t have any doubt we will prevail,” he said.
“Council has conditioned it to cover all the issues, they have done their due diligence.”
A Douglas Shire Council spokesman said it would “review the appeal notice and consider its position”.