Bad blood on the boil in Noah's Bridge saga
Daintree Rainforest
The long-running saga of the replacing of Noah's Creek Bridge has been causing tempers to boil over on an online forum in the Daintree Rainforest region.
The bridge is now in “critical condition”, according to a report tabled in Douglas Shire Council last month, and the load limit has been reduced to eight tonnes, casting doubts over the ability for fuel and food supplies to be regularly delivered to Cape Tribulation.
Cr Michael Rees this month posted a comment on the Cow Bay Community Noticeboard which prompted a strong response from Douglas Chamber of Commerce member and Newsport columnist Lawrence Mason.
“Most of the feedback from residents I’ve personally received has been very constructive and supportive,” Mr Rees stated.
“This far outweighs the tiny minority who seemingly think that making incoherent noise will somehow speed things up.”
Mr Mason fired back with: “Reducing residents’ and businesses’ concerns to ‘incoherent noise’ is offensive and untrue.
“Try to understand how people who have been in fight or flee mode since December 2023 might react to more bad news about a bridge that seemingly cannot be built.”
The decaying wooden bridge was further damaged in the 2023 Cyclone Jasper event, and the DSC's latest advice stated it would be replaced in the “2026 dry season”.
Douglas Shire Council last month submitted an application for a $5m State Government grant to help build the bridge, which it said would now cost about $11.5m.
“Timber bridge specialists assessed the bridge this week to provide further information required for funding purposes,” a recent council update stated.
In last month’s council meeting Mayor Lisa Scomazzon and Cr Rees were full of praise for DSC staff working on the project.
“Good on you guys, you’ve done some really good work on this,” Mayor Scomazzon said.
“Cr Rees: “This is just so nice to see, council operations being so proactive.
“On behalf of the community, thank you so much.”
Mr Mason, however, has cited at least eight references to the bridge in council agendas, reports, applications and letters across more than a decade containing assurances about bridge replacements and repairs.
In 2013 the price tag was listed as about $500,000, while in 2017 the cost was going to be less than $2m, Mr Mason said.
In 2020 the talk was of a two-lane concrete bridge, with a report stating the existing wooden bridge and surrounding structures were “in poor condition and have been subject to a number of remedial efforts over the recent years”.
“Load limitations on the bridge are regularly exceeded,” the report stated.
Last year the council submitted a development permit to build a temporary sidetrack for vehicles “exceeding five tonnes” for access to Cape Tribulation ”following damage to the existing bridge caused by recent flooding as a consequence of Cyclone Jasper”.
“The temporary crossing would remain in place for approximately two years while the existing bridge is replaced,” the report read.
In February this year the council stated work on a new bridge was scheduled to begin in May, subject to securing funding, and would include a temporary bypass so traffic would continue to flow.
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