Douglas Shire Mayor Lisa Scomazzon said she was excited by his appointment, made official at Tuesday’s Special Council Meeting.

“Scott will bring a fresh set of eyes to our Council and an enthusiasm to move our shire forward,” Mayor Scomazzon said.

“His managerial experience in other remote communities will be invaluable while his 15 years of local government experience in Queensland will allow Scott to quickly understand the issues and opportunities in Douglas.

“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Paul Hoye for leading DSC as Acting Chief Executive Officer over the past three months.”

Mr Hoye will return to his role as Manager, Environment and Planning following a handover later this month.

The new CEO said he was looking forward to the challenge ahead.

“I am well aware the shire has been through some tough times following Cyclone Jasper, the flooding that followed and the closure of the mill at Mossman,” Mr Osman said.

“There’s a lot of hard work ahead as we continue the recovery process and as we look to work with our growers with the option to transition into other agricultural crops.

“My family and I can’t wait to become a part of the Douglas Shire Community and enjoy all that Far North Queensland has to offer.”