General News
14 August, 2024
‘Service’ at centre of new job
ONE of DOUGLAS ShireCouncil’s newest councillors – Michael Rees – believes he is living and working in utopia.
So, what attracted him to Port Douglas and the region?
“That’s easy. I had friends in Sydney that spoke of this utopian place up north called Port Douglas,” he said.
“I had a small taste of Northern Queensland when I was nine when I visited the region.
“Years later when I eventually arrived in Port Douglas as an adult, I realised that I would be here forever.”
When asked what promoted the shift to local politics and into this current undertaking, Cr Lees said: “Well, I do not see it as politics, I see it as service”.
“I have been here for 20 years and the Shire has been good to me,” he said.
“It has had it challenges, particularly since 2008, then COVID made things a lot worse and, of course, Jasper put the nail in the coffin.
“So this is way of saying thank you back to the shire for being so good to me. This seemed like a natural progression to me.
“Being a businessman, I understand the needs of business owners.”
Only being appointed to the role in March 2024, he has found it a rewarding endeavour.
“The way that people open up their homes and their lives to me and I feel it is an enormous privilege,” he said.
“Sometimes I can help, other times people are happy that someone is just there to listen.”
Cr Rees said the role of a regional councillor did not come without challenges, of course.
“My role as a councillor requires a significant amount of work but I see it as something that I thrive on,” he said.
“It’s a feeling of responsibility and service and less of a challenge.”
Cr Rees said he was “new to (the) council and governance but with years of experience in business running spas, yoga and pilates studios is where I started”.
“Serving my community is where it’s at. Retiring in the Daintree Rainforest is where it will end,” he said.
So how does a new councillor unwind?
“I don’t,” he said.
However, travelling to see family and friends when the time permitted helped.
