Businesses in a remote rainforest community of Far North Queensland fear financial ruin unless urgent repairs can be made to the only road connecting them with the rest of the country.
Key points:
- Cape Tribulation remains largely cut off to the outside world, save for a makeshift track over a landslip
- Children have missed school days as a result, while some businesses fear closure if they remain isolated
- Geotechnical experts are concerned the landslip may collapse with further rain
Cape Tribulation, about 110 kilometres north of Cairns, was cut-off in December after heavy rain from Tropical Cyclone Jasper caused multiple landslides, including one that blocked the main road through the Daintree Rainforest.
An access road locals refer to as a “goat track” was carved around the landslip over the Noah Range to enable approximately 120 Cape Tribulation residents to access the Daintree ferry and communities including Mossman and Cairns.
But the track over the Noah Range is only open at limited times and subsequent heavy rain has forced new closures, negatively impacting schools and businesses.
Tourism’s uncertain future
Kim Matulich, co-owner of an ecotourism accommodation business, said businesses would likely close if tourists could not return to Cape Tribulation.
“We will have to wind up within six months,” he said.
“We are a small business; we can manage but there other operators within Cape Tribulation who have smaller margins.
“I don’t think they have long before they have to make that tough decision.”
Mr Matulich said the temporary access road over the Noah Range was unreliable and could only be accessed by four-wheel-drive.
“We’ve got business owners that are unable to plan the future and some are considering closing up shop and unsure if they will be able to reopen this year or even at all,” he said.
Jeremy Blockey, who runs a tropical fruit farm at Cape Tribulation, said some children, including his grandson, would miss days of school because they weren’t able to get there.
On Monday, the six-year-old and another boy were taken on a half-hour boat trip to get around the Noah Range landslip for their first day of term.
“They did have a massive squall just offshore, which they just avoided, but that could’ve made the journey somewhat uncomfortable, and they would’ve arrived at school totally wet,” Mr Blockey said.
“This is not a sustainable situation.”
Rain interrupts road recovery
Douglas Shire Council Mayor Michael Kerr said further heavy rain since last month’s floods had “caused a lot of extra issues”, prompting fears from geotechnical engineers of a potential collapse of what remained of the road.
“There’s a lot of work that needs to get done as far as how they can pin the wall to stop the wall from collapsing before they can even start moving the debris off it,” he said.
“We have done as much as we possibly can as a small council with the assistance that we’ve been able to get.”
Cr Kerr said helicopters and barges had been sent into Cape Tribulation with supplies, while locals were also being offered help accessing financial support.
Council in crosshairs
But Mr Blockey said he was sick of hearing the term “resilient” and wanted a return to normality.
“I want to be present in my business, I want to be present in my family to enjoy family time, and I want to be present to be able to go and have a cuppa in town without worrying if I’ll be able to get home or not,” he said.
“The incompetence of council, or inability of council, to get the road open is basically causing massive disruption to our community.”
Cr Kerr said there was no timeline for the road to reopen but said geotechnical engineers were working on a solution as the weather permitted.
“If something goes wrong, I certainly don’t want, and I’m sure my CEO [chief executive] doesn’t want, to be held criminally negligent when we’re not following a geotech report that advises of a danger,” he said.
“We’ve got to do it properly. We know there’s lengthy delays. We know it’s taking a while to happen. We’re doing what we can as quickly as we can.”
Road to remain council responsibility
Queensland Premier Steven Miles said repair work was “not a question of funding” but ruled out making the council-controlled road a state route.
The Department of Transport and Main Roads has instead offered equipment and expertise to help Douglas Shire Council undertake repairs.
Mr Miles said small flood-ravaged communities in Far North Queensland would not be forgotten if Cyclone Kirrilly, which was expected to make landfall on Thursday night, caused widespread damage in more populated areas.
“You’ll continue to see plenty of me up here in the state’s Far North through this recovery,” he said.