JUNGLE DRUM: A call for forward-thinking Daintree solutions and addressing school bully mentalities
LAWRENCE MASON COLUMN
I have been reminiscing a little of late, I stay loosely in touch with a fella who was very much a part of Port Douglas Daintree back in the day, and a little crazy with it. He went from high flying in Sydney to building stuff in Port, and even living in a caravan in the Daintree. Some readers will think they know who he is, but I will just call him a fella.
One of the things that I find appealing about this fella is he is always happy to debate. I can disagree with him on that big fat unregulated place called the internet, and he never calls me names, or builds a strawman, or throws red herrings. It is a bit refreshing to find that with Trolls under every bridge (I mean post), that there are still good old debaters around.
Back to the Daintree. He was around in the days of the 'gang of four'. The Berwick era. Tumultuous times of much change. But unlike many of those who were in power then, he is happy to talk about failings and what could have been. Still no effective feral pig control, a ferry that has lagged a decade behind Councils own projections, a road that clearly is not up to severe weather events and no effective or efficient renewable energy. To name a few.
Some of the pollies of yesteryear got away with murder, scaring us with the potential for overhead wires to slaughter Cassowaries when clearly that didn't happen anywhere else. Bridges, especially dual lane ones are evil, unless they are over the Bloomfield river, or any other river than the Daintree; go figure.
It really is time for a really good 30 year plan for Douglas. Not some green wet dream conjured up by worn out figures from the nineties and noughties, but rather a proper forward looking plan that covers how we generate electricity, how we move about with minimum impact, and importantly, where our road waste ends up.
Imagine if we had land already purchased and approved for landslide waste. Store it locally and then move it when the roads are repaired. Maybe an old low lying cane farm near the Daintree River? So many things we could plan for. Airbnb. Return to Country. Buyback. Alternative farming. Tourism. A Jetty or two.
Toss out useless 'Resilient Coast' stuff that simply is based on politics not reality, and move forward with real plans based on real world experience. Engage with proven new technology and involve ALL the community. And LISTEN. No use repeating past errors.
School Bullies grow up
One last, different observation. Within our community there are people who by virtue of their job have a level of control. Police. Ambos. And others. Big shout out to the Daintree traffic controllers, despite dealing with cruising tourists and high speed locals, they always seem happy and listening in on their radio calls is a weekly highlight. Thanks guys and gals. Managing to wave and smile doing what you do is testament to your awesomeness.
I always like to think that people with control use discretion when exercising that. And mostly that's how it works. But this month I have discovered that some don't. Despite being the face of major operation there are some who are little more than school bullies. Watching their antics in front of the elderly and minors is truly disgusting. A dear friend says some have to empty others buckets to fill their own. Maybe that is it?
*Lawrence Mason has lived at Cape Tribulation all his life, and has been involved in farming, timber and tourism. He is a former board member of Tourism Port Douglas Daintree, founding Chair of Daintree Marketing Co-operative, and has been a member of both Alexandra Bay and Mossman State High School P&C. He is also a member of the Douglas Chamber of Commerce and has a keen interest in local issues.
- The opinions and views in this column are those of the author and author only and do not reflect the Newsport editor or staff.