Day: 19 May 2020
Dr Doug Quarry / Is the destruction of the Courthouse Hotel mango trees a justified health hazard?
Like many other Douglas residents, I was horrified to witness the destruction of the magnificent mango trees in and around the Court House Hotel early on Monday 18 May.
Crispin Hull / Considering our post COVID-19 wishlist
People, quite reasonably are drafting wishlists for a post-COVID world – such as action on climate, energy, tax, water, industrial relations and so on – but that risks a return to politics as usual. Rather we should be asking: what sort of economy do we want; what is the economy for; what role should government play and who should decide how government acts?
Crispin Hull / Alarm bells for ABC funding
This week’s report on ABC funding should alarm Australians.
The death by a thousand cuts of the ABC and the slow strangulation of Medicare has become woven into in Liberal Party’s DNA since John Howard turned Robert Menzies’ broad church of a liberal-conservative Liberal Party into a purely conservative one by shutting out almost everyone left of the nave.
Vicki Kurth / Local wedding industry insight
Like all of us in the tourism sector, we have been hit hard, but can empathise with each other’s concerns about what the future holds…
Lifestyle / Out of isolation and into nature
With the easing of coronavirus restrictions this long weekend, it was time to de-screen and get back to the reason so many of us live in the Douglas Shire – nature. Wanting to take advantage of as many eased restrictions as possible, plans were devised for a picnic and friendly game of bocce on Oak Beach and a hike to Mowbray Falls.
Profile / John Rumney
An interview with one of the Douglas Shire’s dedicated advocates for protecting the Great Barrier Reef, John Rumney of Eye to Eye Marine Encounters shares his concerns and efforts to bring awareness to some of the issues concerning the Great Barrier Reef.
Tourism / COVID-19 recovery update
Tourism operators in the Douglas Shire have been buoyed by an announcement from Prime Minister Scott Morrison and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden committing to further discussions surrounding the opening of a trans-Tasman travel bubble as the Shire again looks to welcome tourists to the region…
Business / Hold on to your Sombreros, The Mexican is back! 🌶🌮🍸
The Mexican is a vibrant, quirky and beloved restaurant located on Macrossan St. On the menu you’ll discover inventive South American inspired dishes served with a good dose of humour and lashings of friendly service.
Like most other businesses throughout the Shire, The Mexican is hard hit by the impact of coronavirus, and Editor Jayne checks in on how The Mexican owners Sarah and Jon are faring.
Perspectives / Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures-the COVIDsafe
On any view of it, we are in extraordinary times. We are in the midst of a pandemic. People are dying. COVID-19 is, in many respects, unique compared to recent mass infectious diseases, like SARS and MERS. This disease is potentially fatal. It is highly contagious. It does not discriminate. Asymptomatic infected persons can spread it and its sequelae are not confined to pneumonia. It has been linked to major organ damage due to embolism and in children, severe septic shock.
Douglas Shire Council / COVID-19 relief package
Council yesterday unanimously resolved to endorse a $179,000 COVID-19 relief package to ease pressure on businesses and residents suffering financial stress in the Shire.