BROKEN PROMISES: Council backtracks on commitment and promise to deliver Port Douglas splash Park construction by May this year
SPLASH PARK

In the latest setback to Port Douglas’s most talked about project Douglas Shire Council has backtracked on its commitment to deliver a splash park “by mid this year” instead offering no explanation behind the stalling of this publicly mentioned timeframe.
In a statement to Newsport on September 18 last year Mayor Michael Kerr told Newsport there would be no construction until “mid 2024” on any Port Douglas splash park.
The vagueness around the responses from Douglas Shire Council throws into any doubt whether ratepayers and local residents will enjoy the thrills of the endlessly talked about and debated splash park before the end of 2024.
In an odd exchange a Douglas Shire Council Staff member, through email correspondence told Newsport no specific Douglas Shire Council staff members, including the Mayor, CEO, or even an anonymous “spokesperson” would have their name attributed or attached to any answers provided by Council in this specific story.
Instead, we were told the responses were weirdly attributed to “a Council statement” and not the Mayor, CEO or anyone else inside the building.
Standard process inside all Councils is for media questions and their specific responses be directly attributed to either a Mayor, CEO or Council spokesperson.
When Newsport asked whether Council still promises/ remains committed to delivering a splash park to Douglas Shire residents by mid 2024? – the response in the mystery statement replied with an emphatic “no”.
When Newsport asked what is the absolute, specific, very latest with the Port Douglas Splash Park? Council publicly confirmed it was looking to secure a tender five months ago for this project. Has a tender been secured and who are they:
Council’s statement responded with:
Council has engaged a leading landscaping and urban design firm to manage the initial process of producing concept designs for the Port Douglas Splash Park, a nature-based splash park. The firm will be attending the region next week to conduct site inspections.
Council also confirmed the design on the splash park is yet to be completed.
At a Douglas Shire Council meeting on June 27 last year a motion “to note the public confirming Jalunbu Park as the preferred location for a splash park" was carried 4-1, with Mayor Michael Kerr voting against the motion.
Council’s public consultation feedback concluded 44% of respondents selected Jalunbu Park as the preferred location for the future splash park build, while Reynolds Park returned 24% of the vote.
In addition on the public information brochure Council disseminated during last year’s February 17 to March 3 public consultation period Council said it was committed to delivering a splash park by May 2024.
In the same brochure Council unveiled on its website last year it indicated the splash park would have an approximate capital cost of $1.2M and an annual operating cost of $110,000, with a 0.3% impact on rates.
Meantime, the eight-month overdue Mossman Splash park which was supposed to be finished and ready for patrons last August, then last December, then this January continues to be plagued by peculiar, last minute delays which has halted any chance of residents enjoying it before this summer’s over.
Of the latest ongoing delay around officially unveiling the Mossman splash park Council’s statement to Newsport said: “An unanticipated issue arose during construction (the switchboard upgrade) which required additional works to be undertaken, unfortunately pushing back the project completion date”.
However, despite Council’s statement Newsport understands the real reason behind the delay in officially opening Mossman’s splash park is that a safety fence near the pool’s deep end hasn’t yet been installed.
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Newsport questions to Douglas Shire Council re Port Douglas splash park latest
1 - What is the absolute, specific, very latest with the Port Douglas Splash Park? Council publicly confirmed it was looking to secure a tender five months ago for this project. Has a tender been secured and who are they?
2 - Has official works started on the construction of the Douglas Shire splash park, yes, no? when did work start? When is work expected to start?
3 - Can Council promise it will deliver on its promise/commitment to deliver a splash park to Douglas Shire residents by mid 2024?
3a - Can you detail and explain what the Splash park will entail, include and look like?
4 - Council said it would open a Mossman splash park in Mossman in August 2023, then December 2023, then January 2024. What’s proved the main problem, issue that has delayed the unveiling of this project 8 months late?
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