Douglas Shire Mayor Michael Kerr has reaffirmed his support for the proposed $300 million Fairmont resort despite claims by the developer that he had lost the mayor’s backing.

In a Question & Answer interview conducted yesterday by Newsport, developer Paul Chiodo said he felt he had lost the mayor’s support and challenged his comments in an ABC interview.

But in a detailed statement to Newsport, Kerr said Chiodo has the same support he always has.

“And I am very much in favour of growing our tourism offering. I am on the more positive side of development as I see the economic benefits that it brings, and I am more than willing to work with any developer to create amazing and appropriate projects for Douglas,” said Kerr.

“I absolutely want to see projects go ahead in Douglas. I want to see jobs created, I want to see new hospitality offerings developed and I want developers to have the confidence to create amazing projects in Douglas.

“To be able to make this happen, though, these projects need to have outcomes that meet the expectations of our community through our Planning Scheme that was only passed in 2018. This Planning Scheme was consulted and approved by the community before it was also approved by the State Government,” he said.

Planning document

Kerr said this is the planning document that this Council has to work with, and Councillors also do need to work with it.

“Approving projects outside of its provisions opens us up to many risks, so planners and Councillors need to have good, clear and beneficial reasons for the community to even contemplate doing so.

“Our planning staff do not go out of their way to make life difficult; they are there to guide applicants through the various outcomes required from the Planning Scheme. If you are not meeting those outcomes, it certainly isn’t the planner’s fault, nor is it the Councillors’ if they don’t approve your application. They are only doing their job and ensuring developers meet the requirements that deliver the expectations of the community which approved the Planning Scheme.”

Kerr said the Planning Scheme needs to be considered when developers create their designs and concepts and work with planners to ensure their applications go through smoothly. By ignoring the outcomes that the Planning Scheme is looking for from day one, it is obvious that you only risk push back, interjection and possible failure.

“I was so excited when I heard that a developer wished to remedy the eye sore block of land that has sat in Port Douglas for so many years. So, it is equally as disappointing to me that Chiodo has come up with a project design that appears to be so far away from the very clear outcomes that our Planning Scheme seeks.

“I absolutely hope that Chiodo will engage with his planners and our planning staff to create an amazing property that delivers the outcomes required whilst being an icon of possibility, confidence and luxury for the Douglas Shire,” said Kerr.

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