Friday 1 April 2011

UPDATE: The Waterfront Committee are not aware of the concerns of the ultra left-wing 'Jelly Rights' group however people still have the opportunity to provide feedback on the lagoon pool.

Happy April Fools Day readers.

Lagoon design may be discriminatory

: An environmental group has spoken out about the proposed lagoon design.

An environmental group has objected to the location and design of the lagoon pool claiming in discriminates against a large portion of the town's population.

Tracey Green of Adelaide based conservation organisation 'Jelly Rights' said that although the lagoon's design includes a deep water snorkel trail, the trail will not lead back into the ocean effectively stopping Box Jellyfish and Irukandji from entering the lagoon.

"By not allowing easy access of jellyfish into the lagoon, the snorkel trail won't give a true reflection of what marine life is out on the reef. It's supposed to be educational," she said.

"I've spoken to a couple of local politicians and they have said they've raised my concerns with the Waterfront Committee."

Come back at 12pm today to read the response from the Waterfront Committee.

Have your say!

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Rod Roberts, 05-04-11 18:27:

Haha very funny - let the tourists swim with the irukandjis and see how them tell the world how Port Douglas tried to kill them with their ''lagoon''! Great publicity guys.

peter przywara, 02-04-11 08:41:

A a port douglas colloseum like the roman times but ours is made commpletely out of water. Its our new lagoon with crocodiles, jelly fish, sharks. All we need is a few christians to chuck in for a free swim

Brandi S, 01-04-11 20:45:

Can't you just walk a few metres and swim in the ocean with the jellies from Nov-May to get the "educational" or painful experience? lol. Don't think we need them in the lagoon fraternising with the little kiddies.

Lisa McCafferty, 01-04-11 19:22:

Go Tracy !!! Yeh great idea !!! Bring on the Jellys !!
Should let everything come in for a look eg, turtles (to escape the spears )Sharks ( endangered)what about a dugong or two ?
I say, keep the people out and save the marine life !!!

Carol Fleming, 01-04-11 13:45:

Hey guys - you got a few.
Happy April Fools day or is that - daze

Kate Brown, 01-04-11 12:58:

Don't you guys & the Gazette have anything better to do today?

Carolynne Lohr , 01-04-11 12:21:

I wasn't aware that box jellies and irukandji were an endangered species ?

Lynda Atkinson, 01-04-11 12:15:

funny! :)

James Elliott , 01-04-11 11:47:

I hope this is an april fools joke.

Anthony Renwick , 01-04-11 11:46:

Whose going to stand up for the rights of the salt water croc don't they deserve a place in the lagoon to?! Ohh hang on they can just wonder in by themselves ..... But really how dumb is this woman?

Dave , 01-04-11 11:45:

Couldn't we wear the blue teletubby suits? Seems fair to me. Actually it isn't really dangerous, the box jelly fish and Irukanji have existed together in the oceans for a long time. It shouldn't be a problem.

Tina Radley, 01-04-11 11:36:

Ok, seriously, is she for real. If you want to experience the reef, you go to the reef, if you want to experience the corcs, you go up the river. So should we let crocs in to?? Yeah, that would be fun. Isnt the point of having a lagoon to be able to swim freely without a full body stinger suit on in 40degree weather the point? And what about the families that can't for safety reasons take their child into the ocean or dont trust the stinger nets like most of the locals? This chick is off her head.. Go back to adelaide..

Kylie Cox, 01-04-11 11:08:

Obviously APRIL FOOLS

Damian Meadows, 01-04-11 10:46:

What's today, April 1st? Perhaps the editor is having a go, nice try lads.

Damian Meadows, 01-04-11 10:43:

April fools, nice one guys.

James Elliott, 01-04-11 10:30:

That is ridiculous. Surely the safety of the public comes above and beyond having an "Authentic" reef experience in a man-made environment.

Perhaps Tracey intends to periodically have a tourist stung by jelly fish so that they have an opportunity to learn first hand about the dangers of deadly jelly-fish.

What a lesson!

Chris Anderson, 01-04-11 10:27:

You fooled someone

Gay Rudolph, 01-04-11 10:26:

I've just realised it's April Fools Day!!!

Gay Rudolph, 01-04-11 10:23:

What a waste of money to build the lagoon pool and then to allow "easy access of the jellyfih into the lagoon.....". Who would use the pool in summer time-it would be a very expensive white elephant.

Matt Koch , 01-04-11 10:01:

so she wants to allow boxies and irukandji into the lagoon obviously she has no idea how dangerous they are and it also kind of defeats the purpose of a lagoon anyway!