General News
28 October, 2026
Flood studies survey launched
A NEW flood study covering Port Douglas and Craiglie is designed to build a clearer picture of how water moves through Shire catchments and where flooding affects people, property and roads.
The study covers about 51sqkm, extending from the Mowbray River in the south to Cooya Beach in the north, and takes in Port Douglas and Craiglie.
It will look at flooding from a range of sources – intense rainfall, creek and river flooding, overland flow, storm tide and the way these interact with the local drainage network.
A Douglas Shire Council spokesman said the outputs would be used to inform future land use planning, disaster management and infrastructure investment decisions.
The study is being delivered by JB Pacific on behalf of council and is jointly funded by the Australian and Queensland governments under the North Queensland resilience program.
“Local knowledge is one of the most valuable sources of flood information available to us,” the spokesman said.
“Records of what actually happened on the ground – where water went, how deep it got, which roads cut – help the project team understand flood behaviour in places where recorded data is limited.
“We would like to hear from residents, business owners, property managers and visitors who experienced flooding in Port Douglas, Craiglie or the surrounding area.
“We are particularly interested in three recent events:
Tropical Cyclone Jasper – December 2023
North Queensland rainfall and flooding – December 2025 to February 2026, with Douglas most affected over 29 to 31 December 2025
Tropical Low 29U – the early and mid March 2026 flooding
Any other significant flood event that affected the area.
Complete the survey at www.cnslocal.s.gy/BbgTC2
