Mossman Transitioning Plan meetings yield range of future economic strategies

Last Wednesday and Thursday, community members gathered to discuss future economic opportunities and support requirements for Mossman during the inaugural Mossman Transition Plan meetings. 

The sessions, which were open to everyone, were facilitated by Scyne, a national consulting firm hired by the Queensland Government as part of the Mossman Transition Program to develop the plan. 

Attendees were encouraged to form groups to identify strengths, future economic opportunities, barriers, and necessary support for the community. 

While a variety of ideas were put forward, discussions were predominantly focused on agriculture. 

One participant highlighted, “We have 12,000 hectares of land in the region, along with rain, tractors, a rail network, and extensive farming experience. Our coordinated approach to agriculture ensures that effective practices are quickly shared throughout the area, which gives us a distinct advantage.” 

Another attendee mentioned that the people seated at their table looked at this through a small business lens.

“We came up with a range of ideas including cutting flowers, growing trees for carbon capture and timber, the Mossman Botanic Gardens, durians, native flowers and food, voluntourism, vanilla beans, subdivision for housing, biofuels, and bioproducts,” the person said.

Another table focused on infrastructure and the potential of biomass – plant materials used as food or fuel.

“If there was a facility for storing and drying grain so it didn’t go mouldy it might open up opportunities for things like hemp, however the resounding response was that what we grow really well is biomass,” the spokesperson said.

“It could utilise some or most of the existing equipment, it’s the opportunity which could be realised most quickly but it probably requires local processing of some description because we are all aware that transporting a bulk product out of here costs a lot of money.”

Bana grass was also the option of choice for another table.

“Bana grass, also known as elephant grass, can be used to make biochar, charcoal briquettes, that sort of thing,” the spokesperson said. 

“It would be an immediate start, uses half the fertiliser as cane, and can run to two – three crops per year. It’s environmentally friendly and clean burning, uses the same infrastructure such as harvesters which are already in place, the same employment skills would be needed, it can allow room for further diversification, it looks very similar to cane, can be used as cattle fodder and we would have the opportunity to adopt world’s best practice.”

Attendees also identified barriers which might emerge as transition takes place.

These included the environmental impact of removing cane from the fields which would result in unstable soils and increased runoff, a potential impact on tourism as tourists want to drive through cane fields, and the uncertainty of income when working with new crops.

One participant noted, “For the last 130 years, people have harvested a sugarcane crop. With new crops, there is the risk of changing rainfall patterns, which could lead to a failure to harvest and result in zero income.”

Other barriers to alternative cropping included challenges with transporting products to market, a lack of irrigation systems and water licences, high capital costs for establishing new crops, and the time commitment required from individuals.

Douglas Shire Mayor Lisa Scomazzon, who attended the meeting, said it was good hearing what the community had to say.

“I think today went very well and it’s good to see all the options the community has put forward,” she said.