Member for Cook, Cynthia Lui, slams de-amalgamation ‘blueprint’ for cash-strapped Douglas Shire

A proposal to dissolve Douglas Shire and split its townships between three neighbouring local government areas has been suggested and firmly rejected.

Cook MP Cynthia Lui has fired a parting shot at outgoing Douglas mayor, Michael Kerr. Picture: Isaac McCarthy

A “divisive” proposal to dissolve Douglas Shire and split its townships between three neighbouring local government areas has been firmly rejected by Member for Cook, Cynthia Lui – launching a salvo at the council’s former top boss in the process.

Outgoing Douglas Shire Mayor Michael Kerr recently outlined a “blueprint” for de-amalgamation with Cairns’ council inheriting Port Douglas, Mossman aligning itself with Mareeba and communities north of the Daintree absorbed into Cook Shire.

The troubled council, formed in 2013, faces a huge battle to rebuild following ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper with its low ratepayer base seemingly incapable of footing the bill for desperately needed water infrastructure and other projects.

Douglas Shire Mayor Michael Kerr Picture: Gizelle Ghidella

But the fired up Queensland MP said despite the shire’s challenges, Mr Kerr didn’t get to “pick and choose” his constituents in a blistering radio interview earlier this week.

“I don’t agree with him,” Ms Lui said on ABC Radio.

“When you become an elected representative for any region, you are elected to represent everybody.

“You don’t get to pick and choose … you get on with the job and you represent everyone equally across the board.

“You don’t walk out after four years in the job and say, ‘We should split everyone up because they’re all different’.”

Mr Kerr rejected Ms Lui’s claims and said the conversations around de-amalgamation had been driven from within the community.

“It is already being discussed and has been for some time,” he said.

“The disaster has only amplified the reasons why people are interested in this.

“It is absolutely a community decision and if the community wants to discuss it, I’m certainly not one to stop them.”

After merging with the then Cairns City Council in 2008, Douglas struck out on its own again in 2013.

Former Douglas Shire mayor Julia Leu led the charge for the region to de-amalgamate during her tenure as Cairns Regional Council Division 10 Councillor Julia Leu.

Mossman, with its agriculture focus, shared more in common with Mareeba while the tourism-centric Port Douglas was geographically and economically better suited to Cairns, Mr Kerr said.

To the north, remote communities like Degarra, Ayton and Bloomfield have been left without direct road access to Mossman and Port Douglas since the December flood, with residents relying on Cook Shire for support.

“It didn’t work last time with Cairns,” Mr Kerr said.

“If it was going to happen again, marrying up those three communities (to neighbouring councils) makes the most sense.

“Right now, we don’t have a significant amount of power when it comes to advocating for funding.

“When you’re with a larger council you have a bigger population that you’re advocating with which gives you more strength.

“When competition is so fierce to gain grants you’ve got to be in there. But this certainly isn’t something I’m driving. It was brought up with me.”

Ms Lui said Douglas Shire’s economic challenges were a direct result of decisions made during Campbell Newman’s time as Premier.

“It was LNP leader David Crisafulli who allowed the de-amalgamation of Douglas Shire when he was Local Government Minister,” she said.

“As a consequence, it is the LNP who are to blame for the water supply issues Port Douglas is having today.

“The Queensland Boundaries Commissioner in 2012 warned the LNP that de-amalgamation would be unsustainable, an unwarranted financial burden on ratepayers, and likely to affect key infrastructure.

“It is outrageous the outgoing mayor and aspiring LNP candidate Michael Kerr is now suggesting further splintering the shire.”

Mr Kerr is one of three known candidates who have nominated for LNP preselection to contest the seat of Cook in October.

Originally published as Member for Cook, Cynthia Lui, slams de-amalgamation ‘blueprint’ for cash-strapped Douglas Shire