Disaster Plan endorsed
Douglas Shire Council has adopted the 2026 Local Disaster Management Plan and appointed a refreshed Local Disaster Management Group (LDMG) to strengthen the region’s disaster preparedness and response capability.
The updated plan incorporates lessons from the challenging 2025/26 severe weather season and aligns with the requirements of the Disaster Management Act 2003.
Council will appoint key representatives from local government, emergency services, health agencies and Queensland Police as members of the LDMG. The updated membership also includes Council’s Manager Disaster Management Unit while Mayor Lisa Scomazzon will continue as Chairperson and Councillor Damian Meadows will remain in the position of Deputy Chair.
Recovery projects progress across shire
Major disaster recovery and other water infrastructure projects continued to advance across Douglas Shire, with several key projects reaching significant milestones.
Taylors Crossing remains on track for construction completion by the end of 2026. Lees Bridge is now expected to be completed in the coming months, while works on the Cape Tribulation-Bloomfield Road landslip package are approximately 90 per cent complete and on track to finish in the coming weeks.
Water infrastructure projects have also advanced, with planning, design and procurement activities underway across a range of water security and resilience initiatives funded through the Queensland Reconstruction Authority and WISER programs.
Budget alignment keeps water security project on track
Douglas Shire Council has formalised budget arrangements for the Mossman River Intake project, helping ensure delivery of a major water security initiative..
The budget amendment reflects the earlier merging of the Mossman Raw Water Storage and Mossman River Intake projects, with grant funding now being aligned under a single budget.
Tenders currently are being assessed for both components of the project.
The project, jointly funded through the Australian and Queensland Governments through the Commonwealth-state Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA), and Douglas Shire Council (DSC), forms part of a broader suite of upgrades designed to improve the resilience of the shire’s water network for the next 50 years.
The National Water Grid Authority’s Water Infrastructure for Sustainable and Efficient Regions (WISER) initiative provides $5M from the federal government and $5M from the state government.
