Wangetti Trail redesign on the way, including pledge to listen to the locals
Douglas Tourism
The next section of the multi-million dollar Wangetti Trail between Ellis Beach and Wangetti will be built with more input from the Far North Queensland community, the State Government says.
Many Douglas Shire locals have been critical of the way the first 7.8km section of the trail from Palm Cove to Ellis Beach has been constructed, saying politicians from the south are imposing a trail on the region without taking into account FNQ conditions or what local residents want - for example large sections of the newly built trail completed less than a year ago washing away during the wet season.
But the Government issued a statement late yesterday saying the track would now be managed by the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service from a base in Cairns, rather than the current Brisbane headquarters.
The Government called the move a “turning point” for the Trail, which has been plagued by delays and budget blowouts.
Two new Cairns-based jobs have been announced - a project officer and community-engagement officer - in an effort to “streamline procedural and approval delays by delivering at the source and removing unnecessary extra steps”.
Tourism Minister Andrew Powell said the first steps were to move the project team from Brisbane to Cairns and get the right people in the right roles to deliver locally.
"Many locals have voiced their frustrations to me about the Wangetti Trail and we are getting on with the job of ensuring we have the right foundations in place to deliver a world-class project,” Minister Powell said.
Cook MP David Kempton said he wanted to see a project the residents of the Far North could be proud of.
“Locals have told us they want a better track,” Mr Kempton said.
“We’re working through their suggestions and making design changes now.”
Reader comments on a Newsport story in June about extending the trail included this one from Paula Martin: “Until the next big wet then it's gone again. Sorry, total waste of taxpayers’ money. That money should have gone to fixing the bloody highway.”
Caroline Bloomfield said it was “fools that pushed this through”, while regular Newsport columnist Lawrence Mason said: “Can't believe we are still going to waste money on this white elephant.”
Douglas Shire Council in this week’s meeting started clearing the way for development to take place on the next sections of the trail set to be built - a pair of reserve-land service trails between Ellis Beach and Wangetti on more than 90ha running along the Captain Cook Highway.
The Government announced in June that completing the Wangetti Trail from Palm Cove to Port Douglas was one of the top-four priorities of a new State Government tourism plan “to make Queensland the leading holiday destination in the nation”.
Destination 2045, promoted as a “visionary roadmap to supercharge the state’s industry into a new era of growth, innovation and global leadership” touts the Trail as a major project at the forefront of the future of tourism in Queensland.
Slated last year to cost $47m to complete, the price of the Trail plan has continued to rise, with an extra about $20m pledged in this year’s state budget.
But Premier David Crisafulli remains committed to completing the 94km route.
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