Community
20 January, 2025
Centre for at-risk youth
MEMBERS of the public have one more week before submissions close on a land use application to develop a training centre for at-risk youth near the Daintree River.
The Material Change of Use (MCU) application, submitted to the Douglas Shire Council by the Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation, requests 200 hectares of land, known as Daintree River Station, have its rural status changed to enable the development.
In an outline of the proposal sent to the council, the plan said the development would include accommodation and facilities which would provide “agriculturally-based vocational training and other cultural and therapeutic programs”.
“The village will include various facilities to support youth development, family reconnection and the restoration of cultural identity,” the application said.
Plans for the development were submitted to the shire council in December and a notice was published on January 6 inviting public response, which closes on January 24.
The centre would include 12 accommodation units (two of which are for staff) an education centre, a chillout refuge building and facilities such as laundry, outdoor amenities block, and storage building, to be delivered over four construction stages.
The land is on a peninsula formed by a bend in the river and the development is proposed for the northern bank, opposite the Daintree Village.
Access for participants and staff would be by barge from Upper Daintree Rd to the west side of the property.
The application said the training village would support the delivery of the Queensland Government-funded ‘Intensive on Country’ (IOC) program.
Jabalbina was selected by the former Labor government to conduct the IOC trial program from 2019. Following extensive auditing and review of the program, it was given further funding of $7 million in August, for 2024 to 2026. Despite reports of concerns by some Daintree residents, particularly over security, and access, a council spokeswoman said no public submissions had been lodged at this stage.
Jabalbina and the Department of Justice did not respond to requests for comment.
