Mayor butts heads over troubled waterpark plan and Daintree Ferry

A FNQ council has sidestepped what could have been an embarrassing backflip to sell the Daintree Ferry in a fiery meeting also punctuated by heated debate over a fraught waterpark project.

A Far North council has sidestepped what could have been an embarrassing backflip to sell the Daintree Ferry in a fiery council meeting also punctuated by heated debate over the fraught Port Douglas waterpark.

On Tuesday at the ordinary meeting of Douglas Shire Council interjection, point of order debates and threats to eject one councillor from the chamber made for an action packed session.

Speaking to a motion on the beleaguered Port Douglas aquatic park precinct Mayor Michael Kerr voiced frustrations that a site and scope of the facility had been a year’s long struggle.

“I have lost count of the amount of workshops we have had on this,” he said.

A design used as an example by Douglas Shire Mayor Michael Kerr for a water park at Port Douglas.

“Another 3.5 years of this term have gone and we are still sitting here with a document that chooses a park with no idea what will fit on it … the public are sick of being consulted, they just want it done.”

Cr Kerr has previously stated he believed Reynolds Park should be chosen as the waterpark site.

Cr Kerr was cut off by councillor Abigail Noli after exceeding a five minute limit.

He went on to move a point of order motion stating the motion was in conflict with a 2021 resolution that centred around the use of the words “splash park” rather than “precinct”.

CEO Rachel Cooper left the meeting to seek further advice on standing orders before Cr Kerr moved an amendment, however it was not supported by other councillors.

Speaking in favour of a recommendation to build the splash park at Jalunbu Park, councillor Roy Zammataro said the results of the public consultation were quite clear.

He asked the Mayor if the consultation should be ignored.

“Not at all,” Cr Kerr replied.

The survey found 44 per cent of residents preferred Jalunbu Park as the water park site over 24 per cent that believed Reynolds Park to be the better option.

Cr Noli lashed the Mayor when taking the floor.

“There was so much pontification in that five minute speech, the consultation has the facts … and some of the words you have said are straight out incorrect,” she said.

A motion to investigate funding options for a co-located swimming facility at Jalunbu Park and the calling of design tenders for a splash park was passed but voted against by Cr Kerr.

The Daintree Ferry was out of action earlier this year.

The second hot topic was a motion brought by Cr Zammataro to sell the Daintree Ferry council acquired for $4.5m in 2021.

He stated the barge was a significant cost for ratepayers which will persist due to the ferry’s ageing condition.

Cr Kerr shut the motion down saying it was out of order as it failed to comply with the proper procedure.

Cr Noli objected before Cr Kerr threatened to eject her from the meeting. He then demanded an apology which Cr Noli refused to offer.

“You can’t keep avoiding the issue, it has to come to council,” Cr Zammataro told the meeting.

The matter will return to council at a later date.

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Originally published as Mayor butts heads over troubled waterpark plan and Daintree Ferry