New funding boost for community resilience initiatives
Nearly $350,000 in funding will be shared among 15 resilience‑building projects across the Douglas Shire.
The grants are delivered under the North Queensland Resilience Program – Community Resilience, Arts and Wellbeing Funding 2026–27.
13 new community initiatives have been recommended for funding, including:
- The Future Sounds Like This – youth music workshops and performance
- Rewire & Reset – four‑week community recovery program
- Resonating Resilience – Collaboration of local artists facilitating community workshops and performance
- Music in the Daintree – community performance with Queensland Symphony Orchestra members
- Cultural Emergence Program – cultural sessions for children 12–15 year‑olds
- Grow Connect Thrive – community garden and workshop series
- Daintree Village Community Belonging Project – wellbeing sessions, mural and traditional garden
- Bare Foot Theatre Project – series of community rehearsals and theatre production
- Wellness Festival – collaboration of wellbeing opportunities for Port Douglas communities
- A Moving and Gathering Community Wellness Festival – collaboration of wellbeing opportunities for Daintree communities
- Building Together – practical skills workshops delivered through a community shed program
- Douglas Shire Arts Trail – shire‑wide arts and culture event
- Climate‑Adaptive Community Garden Demonstration Site – development of a community garden demonstration site
Two previously approved Council‑led initiatives — the Living Library Project and Desert Pea Media video collaboration with Jabalbina — bring the total allocation to $352,300.
This initiative is Jointly funded by the Australian and Queensland governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements and administered by the Douglas Shire Council.
Douglas Shire to be represented at coastal forum
A Queensland forum bringing coastal councils together to explore key challenges and emerging opportunities for coastal communities will be held in the Whitsunday region in July.
Mayor Lisa Scomazzon, Cr Abigail Noli and Cr Michael Rees will be representing the Douglas Shire at the LGAQ Coastal Leaders Forum, which will examine issues such as infrastructure planning, tourism development, climate risk and disaster resilience.
Pensioners to receive 30 per cent rates reduction
Eligible pensioners will receive a 30 per cent reduction on their General Rate for the 2026/27 financial year.
This remission is capped at $1,000 per property.
Council has adopted the revised Rates Pensioner Remission Policy following benchmarking across Queensland, which showed Douglas Shire currently offers the highest pensioner remission in the state, in addition to the State Government’s $200 annual concession.
Council has also adopted a policy providing rates relief for not‑for‑profit organisations, offering up to 100 per cent remission on the General Rate and up to 50 per cent of sewerage charges for eligible groups.
