Monday 1 August 2011

Public meeting on evac centre

A meeting has been called by Port Douglas State School to discuss future plans for the town's soon to be built evacuation centre.

The facility, which will accommodate up to 500 evacuees and be located on land adjacent to the school, will also be used as a sports centre for the school and the community.

"A committee has been formed to ensure that this new facility meets the needs of the school and our community," a Port Douglas State School spokesperson said.

The public meeting is scheduled for this Wednesday from 9am to 11am at the school's resource centre.

Member for Cook, Jason O'Brien, is in Parliament this week, but told The Newsport he will be sending a representative to attend the meeting.

He added that he will be discussing the issue of ongoing management of the facility with colleagues while away, but expressed a preference for a community committee to oversee the running of the centre.

While the desing is yet to be finalised, the centre will be capable of providing protection from winds of up to 300km/h, and, according to Mr O'Brien, the floor level of the shelter will be above the storm tide level or a 1-in-500-year "defined flood event level."

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Coral Deen, 03-08-11 22:10:

Wed 9am - 11am? Great time for a public meeting! Not!

Jason O'Brien, 02-08-11 17:04:

Hi Tim

I would have liked the evacuation centre to be near the community centre but it is too low lying. Cyclone Larry and Yasi have sharpened our focus on these matters that is for sure.

tim , 02-08-11 11:24:

The community centre in Mowbray st and the AFL club should both have built with a dual purpose to act as an emergency evac centre. Any public building and state school sports complex or hall (in fact anything with state funding in an area such as FNQ should have that dual capacity built in. Stae gov is playing catch up again and trying to make it look good.