Cape Trib businesses scrambling to stock up for tourist influx after creek chaos
Shire tourism
Cape Tribulation businesses say they are down to their last reserves of gas and other essential supplies following heavy rain last week shutting down the Noah Creek Causeway - just as the busy school holiday period is starting up.
Julian Pagani, who owns Cape Tribulation Camping and Cape Tribulation Horse Rides, said he and other tourism operators and shop owners had been struggling most of last week to bring in essential supplies such as gas bottles and pallets of food and alcohol in preparation for the busy three-week holiday season.
He said, if more supplies did not get through in the next few days, his business was facing another “disaster” similar to past major shutdowns.
“We may be shutting down the kitchen, shutting down the campground,” he said.
“This is nearly as bad as Cyclone Jasper again.”
With the Noah Creek Bridge set to undergo repairs this month to allow 16-tonne trucks across again, larger delivery trucks have been using Noah Creek Causeway.
But heavy rain at the end of last week damaged that route, leading suppliers such as gas company Origin Energy to put a temporary halt on all deliveries.
Mr Pagani said on Friday he was down to 15 per cent of his gas supplies at a time his businesses were fully booked with peak-season travellers.
“You rely on that last bit of income to get you through the wet,” he said.
An Origin spokesman confirmed it had temporarily halted gas deliveries north of Noah Creek, but he said the company was monitoring the situation closely.
They were doing everything to support customers in Cape Tribulation and were investigating alternative ways to deliver gas to the region, he said.
Mr Pagani said the issue would continue for months with repairs to the bridge scheduled, and he had contacted Douglas Shire Council to access emergency funding to help pay for the cost of hauling supplies from Noah Creek to Cape Tribulation on smaller trucks and utes.
“Due to their mismanagement, they can pay for it,” Mr Pagani said.
Douglas Shire Council has been contacted for comment.
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