LIKE WOW, WIPEOUT
Port businesses count cost of surf park plan’s demise
After a multimillion-dollar Douglas Shire development has been halted in its tracks, the business community is still taking the news in, and not taking it lightly.
The $317m surf park and resort approved unanimously by Douglas Shire councillors last May was expected to attract 28,000 visitor nights and nearly $80m in direct expenditure annually.
Site works were under way to build a 300m wave pool, freshwater swimming lagoon and aqua park, and a 160room hotel precinct on the Captain Cook Highway at Mowbray. The Douglas Shire Sustainability Group lodged an appeal in October on the grounds that the land was zoned rural, visual amenity impacts, environmental impacts, failure to demonstrate proper infrastructure servicing, and inconsistency with community expectations.
Developer David Imgraben told the Post he decided to withdraw from defending the appeal.
“The court didn’t consider the merits of the appeal one way or the other,” he said.
Douglas Shire released a statement early on Tuesday saying they too were disappointed with the state of play, but confirmed the Planning and Environment Court had not considered the proposal’s merits and had made no findings about it.
“Early in the appeal process the developer has advised the parties that he no longer wished to progress the proposal and was prepared to allow the appeal to be resolved on that basis,” said Douglas Shire Mayor Michael Kerr.
“To have a world-class surfmost ing experience down the road from Port Douglas would have significantly lifted summer tourism. It would’ve also provided a year-round swimming option.”
Lawrence Mason from Mason’s shop and cafe in Cape Tribulation was frustrated with the result.
“It’s a terribly disappointing outcome,” he said.
“In tourism we need to have new and exciting things all the time and all this has done now is put us back into the dark ages. I think it’s one of the terrible decisions made in the Douglas Shire.
“We’ve got a shire that’s full of crocs and we’ve got someone who’s prepared to spend his own money to create a facility that people could enjoy to swim in.”
Marcus Bissett from Tony’s Tropical Tours said it would have been a marvellous outcome for Port Douglas.
“It was pretty much on the same model as the one in Melbourne and that’s terrific,” Mr Bissett said.
“It would have been excellent for Port Douglas. It was certainly a far cry from the wave pool at Tobruk (in Cairns).
“I thought it was promising for the area. It’s a bit of a disappointment it’s not going ahead.”
Douglas Shire’s number crunching estimated the development would inject more than $117.5m worth of wages into the local economy over the construction period, and it was projected when operational, it would have created more than 700 full-time jobs.
Mayor Michael Kerr said the wave park would have been a catalyst for a new era of tourism.
“We make no apologies for supporting a development which had the potential to expand and diversify our tourism offering,” he said.
“While we are disappointed, it ultimately was the developer’s decision not to pursue the matter further.”
Developer David Imgraben has been contacted for further comment.
I think it’s one of the most terrible decisions made in the Douglas Shire.
Lawrence Mason