Business
13 April, 2025
Shoring up their businesses
THREE Port Douglas business owners are confident they will be able to keep the power and water on for days if the tourist town is smashed by a natural disaster rivalling ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper.
The lights were out and the taps ran dry during the December 2023 flooding event, leaving significant areas of the Douglas Shire inconvenienced for extended periods.
It was a crippling blow for many businesses who were forced to shut their doors or severely limit their operations.
Fast forward nearly 16 months and there’s a steely resolve and a sense of optimism about how Port Douglas will fare in a similar set of catastrophic circumstances.
The positive sentiment is largely due to the outcomes of the ‘Building Resilient Tourism Infrastructure Fund, Tropical Cyclone Jasper’ program.
Salsa Bar and Grill director Rhys Bawden said his restaurant received a grant to install a generator and water tanks (which are discreetly located under the restaurant’s outdoor decking).
“We can basically run off the grid with no rain at all for a week and, if it’s not raining, probably longer,” he said.
“It’s basically going to be a game changer moving forward. We are going to be very self-sufficient.” Mr Bawden said Salsa was already reaping the rewards of the investment.
“I’ve done three weeks in a row where we’ve turned off from council water and run our own water supplies and we’ve also had about five or six power outages, some of those for hours, when the generator has kicked in seamlessly and we’ve been very lucky to run the restaurant without any hiccups,” he said.
Rattle n Hum, Global Backpackers, Paddy’s Bar and Port Douglas Backpackers owner Danny Gray had access to tank water and generators during Jasper but has a much larger, permanent set-up after receiving grant money for an upgrade.
“When the power goes out the generators automatically kick in with a switch. The generators can run all the airconditioners, all the refrigeration, basically everything the venues need to run with, so really, we’re off grid now,” he said.
“It’s one less thing to worry about. After that period (Jasper rain event) the talk around town was: ‘The water is going to go, the water is going to go’, but I don’t really worry about it now.
“I love the idea that these venues can stand alone and continue to trade no matter what the event is up here. We are going to have more events like this, so it’s good to have this sort of infrastructure put in place.”
Mr Gray said he had regularly used tank water during the wet season, pleasing backpacker guests looking for an eco-friendly experience.
Grant Street Kitchen owner Scott Ledgar said the grant money allowed his bakery to buy a generator, water-carting trailer and cool room.
“We’ve now got those three pieces of the puzzle essentially and it’s amazing. We had a power outage the other day and in 30 minutes we were up and running,” he said.
“We can operate in almost all conditions, which is really good, and we are able to serve the community in those times when we are restricted by water or electricity or events out of our control. I think our business has come out a lot stronger.”
Douglas Shire Council’s disaster management unit (DMU) manager Paul Hoye said he was pleased local businesses had taken advantage of the Building Resilient Tourism Infrastructure Fund: Tropical Cyclone Jasper program.
“By becoming more self-sufficient these businesses are better prepared to withstand and recover quickly from future natural disasters,” he said.
Mr Hoye said the DMU was also working at improving the shire’s disaster-preparedness through a range of initiatives.
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