Council disappointed, clears up misconceptions around wave park developments

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Michael Warren

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What could have been - a visualisation of the proposed wave park. Visualisation: Hunt Design

Douglas Shire Council has clarified their position and looked to clear up public misconceptions after the distribution of a media release attributed to the Douglas Shire Sustainability Group which pointed towards a victory in relation to the wave park being denied by the Planning and Environment Court.

In the wake of DSSG’s release Douglas Shire Mayor Michael Kerr told Newsport:

1- The court has never given consideration to the merits of the proposal and has made no findings about the proposal;

2- 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;

3- As the developer had the onus in the appeal of demonstrating to the court that the proposal should be approved, the appeal could not continue;

4- The process in the appeal involving the experts was never completed, so it remains unknown whether or not the issues in the appeal raised by those opposing the proposal were capable of being addressed

5- Outcomes like this in appeals involving larger developments and high ongoing costs are not uncommon.

“To have a world-class surfing experience down the road from Port Douglas would have significantly lifted summer tourism,” Mayor Kerr told Newsport.

“It would’ve also provided a year-round swimming option.

“We make no apologies for supporting a development which had the potential to expand and diversify our tourism offering.

“While we are disappointed with the outcome, it ultimately was the developer’s decision not to pursue the matter further.”

Council said overall plans for the wave park had included a 164-room hotel and resort featuring a wave pool, freshwater swimming lagoon, aqua park, 90 self-contained villas and surf cabins on the Captain Cook Highway, south of the Mowbray River.

Mayor Kerr estimated the development would have injected more than $117.5 million worth of wages into the local economy over the construction period, while it was predicted the resort itself would create more than 700 full-time jobs.

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