Y.I.R. SEPT 2023: Anguish as dingo trapped and ‘put down’, illegal campers & Gran Fondo bikes
SEPT 2023
ANGUISH OVER EUTHANISED DINGO
There was outrage, regret and sadness in the Douglas wildlife community back in September when Council decided to trap and euthanise a dingo near the Sheraton Country Club.
About a week and a half before that action was taken, Newsport had received a letter to the editor from someone who had many encounters with a dingo family that had lived in the area for 35 years or more.
The writer was back working on grounds maintenance in the vicinity.
In the letter, Sue Bingley said “I was appalled to be told by some Council staff that they were setting a (dingo) trap opposite our work area as there had been a number of complaints from the public.”
Sad at the fate of the animal, another reader sent us a letter after our report of the death of the dingo, saying she had had “40 years experience with Dingoes in the wild and in captivity.”
“Dingoes are the apex land predators! It is so important to understand that Dingoes are wild animals and not at all like your pet domestic dog,” letter author Jen Parker said.
A Council spokesperson gave Newsport its reasons for why the native animal was euthanised, saying it “had become an unacceptable public safety risk” over several months before that, and that “Council had received complaints of the dingo stalking residents, attacking domestic dogs and scavenging food scraps from within Port Douglas resorts.”
ILLEGAL CAMPING, RUBBISH EYESORES
In September, the local community in Port Douglas showed strong disapproval about the re-emergence in beach car parks of illegal campers, after several vehicles and their occupants were photographed apparently parking longer than permitted.
Despite signs – including at the Four Mile Beach car park – clearly saying ‘no camping’, photographs were taken of everything from larger bus camper vehicles to rubbish strewn across areas of the carpark, to a visitor who’d erected a full line of washing.
“Old mate hanging up family washing on makeshift clothes line, full of campers, mess left for Council to clean up, even free power to charge your bike, what could possibly go wrong..” a social media taking issue with the campers posted.
But others defended the campers: “Also are these campers costing you anything? Are they bothering you? Nah.... you ain't picking up any tab. Queue the ‘I'm a rate payer’ reply.....”
Douglas Shire Mayor Michael Kerr told Newsport then that he believed Council was doing enough to prevent the illegal camping, saying at the time of our report, there had already that month been 49 ‘First and Final’ camping notices and four penalty infringement notices – carrying fines of $309 – issued.
EXPAND ARTS PRECINCT? ANSWER: NO PLANS
Newsport was in September able to establish for its readers that there were no plans (and are still none) in the Shire offices for any new performing arts and/or music concert ‘precinct’ incorporating a large outdoor space, sometime in the near future.
And there wasn’t anything on the drawing board either, specifically to upgrade or certainly not to expand the existing, popular Clink Theatre in Port Douglas, for one.
The theatre has proven popular and well-attended many times in its history. But it has a limited capacity of 120 people.
In recent times, our readers had also often asked about the possibility of having a more permanent outdoor space for events such as music concerts during Port Douglas Carnivale.
But when Newsport asked Douglas Shire Council, and the mayor, Michael Kerr, about any plans for expanding the local government area’s performance capacity in the near future - the answers were largely met with a firm ‘no’ or ‘no comment’.
FOND OF GRAN FONDO
In September we also saw healthy support and a strong turnout for Port Douglas Gran Fondo.
The bike event further cemented its status as an inclusive, family friendly festival after thousands of patrons enjoyed its second year across the Shire.
Event director Bade Stapleton couldn’t have been happier with the feedback from many different stakeholders.
“Gran Fondo festival above all else is a family event in which people can choose to ride in one of our events, or simply enjoy the range of activations on offer during the event,” Bade told Newsport.
“The feedback – from families, to riders, to spectators, to sponsors, to the members of the public exceeded our expectations.
“That is very satisfying to hear because the whole purpose of the festival is simply about participation and enjoyment.”
Thank you!
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