DOUGLAS Shire voters will today mark their ballot papers in an atmosphere tense with doubts over the region's future as part of the Cairns Regional Council.

"What does the future hold? We don't know," the shire's outgoing Mayor of 17 years Mike Berwick told The Weekend Post.

"The overall mood is one of complete uncertainty and not knowing what is expected under this new regime."

The winning Division 10 candidate will battle to be heard among nine other councillors and cover an area as large as all other divisions put together, Mr Berwick said.

"I think the biggest challenge will be preventing development from over-running the place," he said.

"This is a very special place this shire, it can't be homogenised with other places, you don’t want it to lose its distinctiveness."

The eight contenders for the new division spent weeks doorknocking and fronting public forums, promising community involvement and vowing no Cairns-style development in the region.

A chamber of commerce organised survey positioned ex-Douglas Shire CEO Julia Leu at the front of the field, with a pledge to set-up a community consultation board.

And former Douglas Shire Cr Melinda Cox vowed to close loopholes allowing "monstrosity" developments; ex-Cr George Pitt promised to include the community in decision making; their colleague Cr Rod Davis told voters he would bring Reef and Rainforest Carnivale to the whole division.

Peter Johnston said he too would fight inappropriate development; Dixie Phillpot said she would listen to constituents and present community issues to council; and Danny Hanly committed to continuing to push issues such as foreshore
development.

Unity candidate Bill Phillips-Turner said he would represent all of the division's diverse communities.

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