Do It In Douglas

08/10/2026

Australia Day Award Nominations are now open!

These annual awards celebrate the contributions of community members across a variety of categories:
- Citizen of the Year
- Volunteer of the Year
- Environmental Achievement Award
- Young Citizen of the Year
- Senior Citizen of the Year
- Arts & Cultural Award
- Senior Sports Award
- Junior Sports Award

Click below to nominate!

https://douglas.qld.gov.au/awards-ceremonies/australia-day-award-nomination-form/

06/10/2026

Learn more about AI for your business....

Are you ready to make AI work for your tourism business? 🤖

AI is changing how travellers research destinations, plan itineraries and book experiences. The Queensland Government's Tourism AI Adoption Program is designed to help tourism businesses understand and implement AI in practical, meaningful ways.

Successful participants will receive:

✅ An AI digital health check
✅ Online workshops
✅ One-on-one mentoring
✅ A tailored AI action plan
✅ Ongoing access to AI learning resources and support

Delivered by Tourism Tribe, this program will help Queensland tourism businesses build capability, improve efficiency and prepare for the future.

📅 Applications are now open, but places are limited! Learn more and apply 👉 https://bit.ly/4744DRG

30/09/2026

24/09/2026

📣𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮.📊

National figures can show broad trends, but local evidence helps explain how insurance pressures are being felt across the different communities and industries of Tropical North Queensland.

In 2025, 224 survey responses helped establish a regional baseline. Those findings contributed to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's monitoring of the Cyclone Reinsurance Pool and informed broader consideration of insurance conditions across northern Australia.

By repeating the survey, Regional Development Australia Tropical North can identify how affordability, premiums, excesses and access to appropriate cover may have changed.

Every response helps build a more current and credible evidence base. That evidence strengthens our capacity to advocate for the region and supports better-informed decisions affecting liveability, resilience and economic growth.

Whether your experience has improved, remained unchanged or become more difficult, it is important that the regional data reflects what people and businesses are seeing now.

📅𝗦𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲𝘀: 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝟮 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲
➡𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘆: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ZBJ3QMM

Please share the survey with homeowners, landlords, strata communities and business owners across your networks.

Northern Regional Development Australia Alliance - Northern RDA Alliance

09/09/2026

Working Holiday Makers help make Douglas Shire's visitor experience possible.

They work alongside our local teams, help manage seasonal demand and allow us to continue welcoming visitors to Douglas.

They are temporary visitors who work, travel and spend in communities across Australia before returning home.

Policy changes could mean fewer Working Holiday Makers coming to Australia, shorter stays or less ability to move to the regions like ours where workers are needed.

To protect the number, length of stay and mobility of Working Holiday Makers, the Government should consult the tourism industry and recognise that temporary visitors are different from permanent migration and a critical resource in regional areas.

Please sign the petition and share it with your networks. We need to demonstrate how widely these changes could affect Australian businesses and communities: https://www.change.org/p/protect-working-holiday-maker-backpacker-visas-in-australia

Protect Working Holiday Maker (Backpacker) visas in Australia

05/08/2026

TEQ Connect Publicity Playbook Webinar, 11.30am-12.15pm 10 August
Discover the art of publicity and learn what makes a tourism story newsworthy. Suitable for small to medium businesses who are looking to understand what PR is and how it might work for their business.
94ddfa0f-41bd-4d2b-a211-4019b4ae9c4b@5508d6c0-0cb6-4390-9589-c7702f4cc37a?utm_medium=email&utm_source=all&utm_campaign%20=%5B2026%2F07%2F23%5D%20Eye%20on%20Q%20230726&emailHash=dec8181bc2435a3371243ed6980b2a69a99f85ac97373ee12b10712360224c29&deliveryName=DM38071" rel="ugc" target="_blank">https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/94ddfa0f-41bd-4d2b-a211-4019b4ae9c4b@5508d6c0-0cb6-4390-9589-c7702f4cc37a?utm_medium=email&utm_source=all&utm_campaign%20=%5B2026%2F07%2F23%5D%20Eye%20on%20Q%20230726&emailHash=dec8181bc2435a3371243ed6980b2a69a99f85ac97373ee12b10712360224c29&deliveryName=DM38071

29/07/2026

Does your business use terms like 'sustainable', 'eco-friendly' or 'green' in your marketing?

From September 2026, new European consumer protection rules could affect how your business promotes its environmental credentials.

Join QTIC and EarthCheck on 26 August for this free, member-exclusive webinar to learn what these changes mean for your business:
✔️ What the new rules mean for your business
✔️ How to review your website, social media and marketing
✔️ Why evidence and third-party verification matter
✔️ Practical steps you can take to communicate with confidence

This webinar will help you understand what's changing and how to get ahead. Register now for free: https://hubs.ly/Q04qNrj_0

29/07/2026

Have you got a tourism project ready to go?

Round 2 of the Regional Tourism Infrastructure Fund (RTIF) is now open. Grants of up to $300,000 are available for tourism infrastructure projects across regional Queensland.

The program supports projects that help attract more visitors, encourage longer stays and increase visitor spending in communities outside South East Queensland.

RTIF targets projects such as:
✅ New tourism attractions
✅ Eco-lodges and glamping experiences
✅ Agritourism ventures
✅ Ecotourism experiences
✅ Stargazing and dark sky tourism projects

Applications close Wednesday 9 September with the announcement of successful recipients in December 2026

Program guidelines, eligibility criteria and applications https://www.detsi.qld.gov.au/tourism/funding-grants/current/regional-tourism-infrastructure-fund

26/06/2026

🌱 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗙𝗮𝗿 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱’𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀.

The FNQ Growers Gala Dinner brings together industry leaders, growers, agribusinesses, government representatives and stakeholders from across the region for an evening of networking, recognition and celebration.

The evening will also see the announcement of the **prestigious Charlie Nastasi Farmer of the Year Award**, recognising an outstanding individual whose leadership, innovation and contribution have helped shape Far North Queensland's horticultural industry.

Sponsorship opportunities are now available, with **packages starting from just $440**. Sponsorship benefits include event recognition, branding opportunities, complimentary tickets and direct engagement with attendees, depending on the package selected.

Whether you're looking to increase brand visibility, strengthen industry connections or showcase your products and services, there's a sponsorship package to suit your organisation.

📩 To learn more or secure your sponsorship package, contact FNQ Growers today.
Email Sherri at **[[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])**.

04/06/2026

The Business Ready Together program is live and it's not too late to register!

Business Ready Together is an online business resilience program aimed at supporting local businesses to better prepare for disruptions. It helps business owners take simple practical steps to strengthen their preparedness and resilience. This makes it easier to respond to disruptions like severe weather, supply disruptions and staffing challenges.

Click the link below to sign up. Enter the code DS26.

https://learn.resilientready.org/courses/douglas-shire-qld/