The Shire of Douglas is a local government area in Far
North Queensland. It is located on the coast north of the city of
Cairns. The shire, administered from the town of Mossman, covers an area
of 2,436.7 square kilometres (940.8 sq mi), and existed as a local
government entity from 1880 until 2008, when it was amalgamated with the
City of Cairns to become the Cairns Region. Following a referendum in
2013, the Shire of Douglas was re-established on 1 January 2014.
The major industries are tourism and sugar production. Minor industries
include tropical fruit and beef.
On 11 November 1879, the Cairns
Division was one of the initial 74 divisions created under the
Divisional Boards Act 1879. On 3 June 1880, the northern part of Cairns
Division was excised to create Douglas Division.
With the passage
of the Local Authorities Act 1902, Douglas Division became the Shire of
Douglas on 31 March 1903.
On 15 March 2008, under the Local
Government (Reform Implementation) Act 2007 passed by the Parliament of
Queensland on 10 August 2007, the Shire of Douglas merged with the City
of Cairns to form the Cairns Region.
In 2012, a proposal was made
to de-amalgamate the Shire of Douglas from the Cairns Region. On 6
December 2012, the Queensland Minister for Local Government, the Hon.
David Crisafulli, granted the people of the former Douglas Shire a vote
on possible de-amalgamation from the Cairns Regional Council, even
though the Queensland Treasury Corporation had calculated the costs to
be too high a burden on the few ratepayers of this small Shire, and the
Shire to be unviable in the long term. Despite strong opposition from
many parties, on 9 March 2013 the citizens of the former Douglas shire
voted in a referendum to de-amalgamate.[5] The shire was re-established
on 1 January 2014.
Amongst The Shire of Douglas settlements is
Port Douglas.
|
