To protect the enviable lifestyle and unique character of the Cairns, Port Douglas and Mossman regions, and provide for future growth and development, Cairns Regional Council (CRC) is delivering a number of innovative, long term master planning strategies.
The Mount Peter area has been recognised by the Far North Queensland Regional Plan and the Cairns Plan as the region’s priority urban growth corridor for the next 20 to 30 years.
Council’s General Manager Planning and Environment, Peter Tabulo said that this has presented CRC with both the challenge and the great opportunity of shaping the future in a way that respects our values, culture and unique natural environment.
“Since 2008, Council has been working with State agencies, landowners, community groups, residents, business people and others to create a plan for a future community of some 42,500 people – the predicted population by around 2037,” Peter Tabulo said. “This enormous master planning process aims to deliver the vision for Mount Peter as an area with a thriving local economy, an innovative urban structure, a strong, vibrant community, a unique natural environment, a connected community, and integrated and sustainable infrastructure.”
Work is also under way on a master plan for the Cairns City Centre. This process began in 2008, and is guided by a Steering Committee which establishes and recommends priority actions.
Addressing public transport, traffic, parking, technology, streetscapes and open space, arts and cultural activities, the master plan will be an important tool for CRC to drive positive development outcomes throughout the City Centre.
At the northernmost end of the CRC local government area is the gateway to the Daintree National Park and two World Heritage areas – the Wet Tropics rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef.
CRC has initiated a master planning project for this ‘Daintree Gateway’ to set clear vision and guiding principles for Council, the community and State agencies, and to ensure that the visitor experience at the Gateway reflects the natural environment.
Community involvement and extensive engagement have also been central to delivering a master plan that expresses the heart and soul of the Port Douglas township and its people.
The Port Douglas Waterfront Master Plan aims to provide a green heart for the town centre and to make the waterfront a place to be visited, visually accessible and appealing from both land and water, and an active part of daily life.
Coupled with a thorough planning process, a high level of community interface has produced a master plan with a strong feeling of local ownership.
