Monday 9 January 2012

STOP! Look closer urges locals

: Russell Jean and Steve Hull say building a cyclone shelter on this expansive site in Old Port Road would bring long term benefits to the community.

An alternative site for the Port Douglas cyclone shelter has been raised by two local campaigners who believe the community is being short changed by the current location and design.

Russell Jean and Steve Hull have continued to put pressure on elected representatives to ensure that the $6 million in secured funding for the shelter is used to build a facility large enough to protect more members of the community, and which could become a hub for future local infrastructure development.

The current shelter design can hold up to 720 people and will be located at the Port Douglas State School with construction expected to commence soon.

But Messrs Jean and Hull have called on the Douglas community to take a closer look at the issue, citing some major inadequacies in the plan including:

insufficient space in the shelter considering the population it will service
costly road access construction
management of public access to school grounds to ensure student safety
school site would not allow for future expansion of facilities

According to the pair, local architect Gary Hunt has reviewed the cyclone shelter design and estimated its cost at almost half of the $6 million budgeted.

"We went to Gary Hunt...he gave us a report on the proposed building and he basically said based on the figures the building should cost about $3 - $3.5 million.

"Based on those figures for $6 million we could get the Cooktown model (a much larger shelter) built."

They have also identified a 12,000sqm block of Council owned land on Old Port Road (approximately 200m from the Captain Cook Hwy) which they believe would be an ideal location, not only for the shelter, but for additional infrastructure such as a public swimming pool.

"That was Douglas Shire land. We're saying give it back to Douglas for this purpose, put the centre on there. It's not in a storm surge area, it's in the white zone right near the highway.

"It would have helicopter access, bus access, whatever you like. It's got that much space there."

He added that it would be a generous act of goodwill from the Council to the people of the Douglas region should the land be gifted for this purpose.

Mr Jean said that the $6 million could be spent using local designers and contractors who, being part of the community, would be prepared to help the funds stretch further to secure a bigger and better building.

"All of a sudden your $6 million goes a lot further than $3.5 million for the building and $2.5 million being swallowed by State Government offices - that's where the money is going," Mr Jean said.

"Emergency services can access that area so much easier (than the school)."

With elections expected in the next two months Mr Jean and Mr Hull are urging the community to contact political candidates from both sides before it's too late.

"We're saying stop. We're only at the stage at the moment of tenders so it hasn't cost (State Government) them a lot of money. Nothing has been dug, there are no pegs out so stop now, have another look, and say we can do more with this centre. Now is your chance."

State Member for Cook - Jason O'Brien
Ph: 07 4051 3849
Email: cook@parliament.qld.gov.au

Candidate for Cook - David Kempton
Ph: 0407 964 332
Email: kempton@lnpqld.org.au

Minister for Government Services and Building Industry - Simon Finn
Ph: 07 3237 1832
Email: governmentservices@ministerial.qld.gov.au

Shadow Minister for Government Services and Building Industry - Ros Bates
Ph: 0402 348 406
Email: mudgeeraba@parliament.qld.gov.au

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Have your say!

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Newsport Editor , 13-01-12 11:48:

Hi All, just a quick note to let you know a lot of your questions may be answered by the other recent articles that were written on this topic. Please see story here:
http://www.tourismportdouglas.com.au/Yellow-peril-NEWSPORT.6985.0.html
and
http://www.tourismportdouglas.com.au/Infrastructure-concerns-grow-NEWSPORT.6969.0.html

Thanks Ed

Richard , 13-01-12 10:33:

Jason.....I will assume that development costs are irrelevant if the land is flood zoned. If so, it appears construction is therefore unlikely. My questions are simple so require a simple answer. Is all of the land flood zoned or not? If not, costs aside, could a building be built on this land. The answers to these simple questions may help with discussions from both sides.

jason Hall, 11-01-12 18:59:

Nice to hear Mr O'brien reply in this forum about the sites suitability. I would like to point out however that the issue of development cost was not addressed with regards to the claim that 6m should grant us a much larger facility.

steve hull, 11-01-12 15:36:

when Russell and i started our push for this to become a bigger, better and more suitable facility for our 12,000 residents(regional) we obviously checked the storm surge maps.
there is over 5,000sqm of white zone on the land in question.....also ALREADY in place......DIRECT highway access for emergency vehicles......immediate direct areas for bus/car parking and helicopter access...no buildings or trees that would cause problems in a storm.
these are KEY criteria requirements as per QLD govt public works guidelines.
this site certainly ticks a lot of boxes!

Jason O'Brien, 10-01-12 17:49:

I have just had it re-confirmed that the site the two gentlemen are advocating for is in the yellow flood zone and therefore would never be considered for this project. The flood map is available on the Council website but I asked officers to confirm. Sites were only considered that were in the white zone (above the Q100 flood level), had highway access, were clear of other buildings and trees and had helicopter access just to name a few of the key criteria.

The school site ticks all these boxes and is pretty well the only site freely available in Port Douglas that does so.

The school principal is preparing a template memorandum of understanding so that community groups will be able to use the facility.

Of course everyone wants a bigger one but with no other level of government able to contribute to the capital costs now nor to the fit out, ongoing maintenance or management this is the best option the State Government has to provide Port with a safe facility as well as a sport and recreation centre.

The plans for the centre have previously been put on the Newsport website and I urge people to look at what a great facility this will become.

nick g, 10-01-12 17:26:

Nice to get a reply from Ros Bates;

'Thanks for the email Nick. David Kempton our candidate up there is going to run with this issue. I am also happy to come up and support during the election campaign.

Kind regards

Ros
Ros Bates MP - State Member for Mudgeeraba Shadow Minister for Government Services, Building Industry

Thanks Ros for staying in touch with the electorate!

nick g, 09-01-12 20:39:

I heard Russell on the radio Sat morning & Steve has also filled me in on this. It's a very compelling argument & one that would probably win the debate at the local high school. I'm not a big fan of 'politics' because things are often done for votes & jobs for the boys. No shovel should go in the dirt however until all sides of this argument are properly debated. My main question was 'is this site safe?'. The boys have done their homework & Russel (a respected police officer) has done this before in Cooktown (as he refers to the cooktown model). These guys don't have a hidden agenda other than having growing young families in the area & helping tourism thrive for our future. I share that passion! Can we make it bigger, safer & more cost effective - they think so, & i have no reason to doubt it! I'm friends with Steve & support him on this because i think it's a good idea - not because i'm a 'white ant' or need to 'call in a favour'! After all it's all about the big picture... Go get em' boys!!

Brandi S, 09-01-12 12:52:

Great idea and innovation! Everything they proposed is bang on (especially for expansion) and if they design the shelter as a sports complex with indoor basketball courts, swimming pool, function area etc. it can be used year round. Then when emergency strikes, everyone can gather easily at the shelter via highway access. Then everyone benefits from Oak Beach to Wonga and we're not wasting gov't money!

Russell Jean, 09-01-12 10:57:

Well done Newsport your support of the old Douglas region is invaluable !! Just listened to an interview with the current Member for Cook on Port FM and it seems he hasnt even listened to the points that have been made about the alternatives?? Can I also say that the alternatives that Steve and I are also putting up are the links with the proposed Entertainment Precinct in Cairns and the Sports Tourism push in that area. We believe with the right size, right location and right design the new centre could feed off these two cairns proposals?? Those that visit cairns re entertainment could come to this region? Sports tourism could be grown with the right centre and facilities adding to the much needed economy?? The right centre could be a very much needed hub that this region needs and should have, we have no real infrastructure which enables us to cater for our local base in the region let alone trying to attract new people to the area and also new tourism opportunities?? Can I quickly refer to the last Cyclone threat to this area - Yasi - approx 260 persons in Mossman hall with themselves, pets, possessions lying down and this hall is twice the size in area that the proposed centre to be built at Port School?? Big enough?? I dont think so!! Our proposal is to have a centre like the cooktown model but with double courts allowing for a greater number of persons in times of emergency and also to allow for the growth of this area in the next ten years or son not just for NOW?? We need something we can grown with and add to and this will not be possible with the current proposal at the school?? Port Douglas/Mossman people get in and make yourselves heard have your say to both side because we have had indications things could change?? Let your local government reps know with strong comment also - The Mayor of the CRC and our local councillor Julia Leu of Division 10. They need to step up to the plate and show this region something, like they havent up till now. Please make yourselves heard dont just sit back and take it and when its built say we should have domne something - It Will Be Too Late Very Soon !!