More than $9m needed for Bloomfield Track upgrades

Douglas Roads

Shaun Hollis

Journalist

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Douglas Shire Council has asked the State Government for money to fix some of the concreted parts of the Bloomfield Track.

The Bloomfield Track will receive $9m worth of upgrades if Douglas Shire Council can win a State Government grant.

Five sections of the Track have been identified for fixes to make the four-wheel-drive road safer, including an upgrade to the concrete pavements at the 19-20km mark, the 20-21km mark and the 23-24km mark, an upgrade to the sealed section at the 0-2km mark and an upgrade of the McKenzie Creek culvert.

“These projects were also requested by Wujal Wujal Aboriginal Shire Council and are a high priority for enhancing connectivity for their community,” a report tabled in the most recent council meeting stated. 

Cr Damian Meadows told the meeting the state funding is being set aside for roads that are “posing a bit of a risk to travellers.”

The funding will “make it safer”, Cr Meadows said.

Cr Abigail Noli said, with the separate projects adding up to about $9m, these were “phenomenal figures” if they could manage to secure the money.

The grant cash would come from the Country Roads Connect program administered by the Transport and Main Roads Department (TMR), which is a new pool of $100m aimed at boosting the safety of regional roads.

The Cape Tribulation Road and Cape Tribulation-Bloomfield Road are the only ones in Douglas Shire that qualify for the funding under the State Government’s grant guidelines.

The funds are meant for “paving of unsealed regional roads that serve rural communities and producers, provide access for emergency vehicles and are most at risk of becoming impassable following severe weather events”, the council report stated.

If the grant application is successful, the funding can be provided across four years from 2024-25 to 2027-28. 

The Bloomfield Track between Cape Tribulation and Cooktown, completed in 1984, was the cause of protests and blockades in the early 1980s due to its construction through untouched rainforest wilderness.

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