General News
30 April, 2026
Last chance for chamber
THE Douglas Shire’s leading business group is at the crossroads with a target of attracting 60 members by June 30 by offering free membership – or close down.
The Douglas Chamber of Commerce held a crisis meeting earlier this month, attended by more than 20 people at the Port Douglas Community Hall.
After 20 years of the chamber, questions thrown to the floor from president Jeremy Blockey and the existing committee included: What is the chamber? Should the chamber still exist? If so, should there be a name change?
Founder member and current treasurer Martin Tranter said he believed the chamber had lost some focus and there needed to be a much better level of connection with businesses.
“Although there has been no financial activity in the last year, just over $13,000 existed in the chamber’s current account,” he said.
“These are funds that are there to be used should we continue in the future.”
Mr Blockey said Cyclone Jasper and the Mossman Mill closure both had a massive impact on the Douglas Shire.
“We are still not seeing replacement industries,” he said.
“With an estimated $188 million loss for the area per year, we need a positive outcome from the chamber. The current (government) funding to assist recovery will eventually run out.
“We need more than ever to have a strong presence and a strong membership.”
Mr Tranter said there was a need for a business advocate.
Thoughts and comments from the floor included the fact that everyone is busy which makes it difficult for members to make a regular commitment to the chamber. The possibility of an employed coordinator was suggested.
Another suggestion was similar to that of Ingham with the ‘Hinchinbrook Way’ where out-of-the-square ideas brought about a change in approach to the area and resulted in successful business enterprise.
Douglas Shire Council CEO Scott Osman referred to the ‘Do It In Douglas’ campaign and suggested that there should not be a “them and us” approach, but that the Shire should all work together with a “single focus”.
Mr Blockey said “if council and the chamber work closely together, it may be more achievable to acquire future funding”.
One major concern from the floor was that there is currently no avenue for people’s input via Facebook or the chamber’s website. One speaker noted that the website had major technical difficulties.
Mr Blockey said the website had now been resurrected.
John Sullivan from the Douglas Shire Ratepayers Association felt there is too much apathy in the Shire.
“Where’s the leadership?” he said.
“Who’s done the SWAT analysis? Are we now just a tourism area or is there still an agricultural industry?”
One consideration from the floor was that the chamber should no longer exist in its current form but join up with another organisation, such as Tourism Port Douglas Daintree (TPDD).
Further questions included whether the current chamber should be rebranded in a more positive way, including a complete name change.
The meeting agreed that the Shire needed a collective business voice, interacting peer group, state and federal interaction and “made up of winners?
Mr Tranter proposed that the current chamber should aim for a target of 60 members by June 30, 2026, at which point he recommended that, if not achievable, the Douglas Chamber of Commerce may be “a dead horse”.
