Rocks, paper, scissors
Main Roads, council in high-stakes game over site
A STATE Government department and a Far Northern council remain embroiled in a standoff over responsibility for a stretch of Captain Cook Highway which is home to the balancing rocks attraction.
A Department of Transport and Main Roads’ RoadTek crew was on site repairing the road edge along the popular section of Wangetti Highway on Tuesday morning.
In a response issued to the Cairns Post about whether the department was removing the stones, a DTMR spokesman said the work was part of a “routine maintenance program” and not related to the balancing rocks.
On Tuesday evening passers-by noticed the rock statues had been demolished.
The department’s additional comments laying responsibility for the balancing rocks area with Douglas Shire Council has prompted a backlash from Mayor Julia Leu.
The DTMR spokesman said the agency was “continuing to monitor safety at this location and are meeting Douglas Shire Council to discuss the matter”.
“Formal designation of this area as a tourist attraction with additional facilities such as a car park is a matter for council, which would be responsible for funding,” he said.
“We will continue to work with the council and will consider any council proposal for additional facilities.”
But Cr Leu said she had “triple confirmed” with the council’s engineers as to her responsibilities in the area.
“It’s what we call a state controlled road,” she said. “We are very well aware where all our local roads are. We have never been involved in having to provide any maintenance or anything else required on that stretch of road because it is a state stretch of road.
“We’re fully committed to all the expenditure necessary for our roads and I find it extraordinary that DTMR are still maintaining we have a responsibility.
“Certainly the council wants to strongly advocate TMR exercise responsibility on a stretch of road where recent events have shown the potential for a serious accident is there.”
Cr Leu said on behalf of herself and her colleagues that she was surprised the State Government had embarked on a state funded tourism campaign which featured the balancing rocks. She said she believed this had further increased the spot’s popularity.
Cr Leu also described the suggestion of building a car park at the site as “ludicrous”, saying it would only further endanger tourists.
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