New service station and grocery store plan for Cape Trib
Shire Development
Cape Tribulation will soon have a new service station and grocery shop on the main road into town if an application submitted to local planning authorities is approved.
The new development at 7 Camelot Close would include a petrol station and store as the first stage, followed by a house and two tourist cabins to be built at a later date.
A company called GDUB Holdings is behind the application - with a search for the address bringing up a home behind PK’s Jungle Village.
Part of the more than 2ha block where the development would go currently includes tracts of rainforest, but the planning application states the tourism accommodation would be “nature-based” “forest stay” with minimal impact on the environment.
“Select clearing is required to establish a new access and proposed structures,” the application reads.
The site, just north of Mason’s Swimming Hole, includes a more than 100m frontage to Cape Tribulation Road and stretches more than 180m back along Camelot Close, sloping gently downward towards the eastern boundary.
Trailer hire, a car wash and a mechanics workshop are also referred to in the plans, as well as 12 parking spaces, a long-vehicle parking bay, an 18sq m carport, 11sq m veranda, and segregated living areas and separate bathrooms for the cabins.
The applicant states that the Cyclone Jasper disaster showed a new service station was definitely needed.
“The damage to vital infrastructure, including the fuel station in Diwan, led to a severe fuel shortage, with only a few days' supply remaining,” the plans read.
“This shortage severely disrupted daily life, as residents and businesses had to depend on generators due to the lack of mains electricity.
“The fuel crisis had a significant impact on the local economy, particularly tourism.”
The lack of an electricity grid at Cape Tribulation has also been brought up as a further reason for the development.
“Most properties utilise solar power systems, often supplemented by diesel or petrol generators to ensure a consistent energy supply, especially during periods of low sunlight or increased demand,” the application states.
“This reliance on fuel-powered generators underscores the critical importance of a stable and accessible fuel supply for the community's daily operations and emergency preparedness.”
Douglas Shire Council planning staff are currently assessing the proposal.
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