Park decision in sight
Council weighs up ambitious tourism plan
AN INDIGENOUS tourism park that would send visitors hurtling along zip lines between towers in the East Trinity wilderness could get the green light today.
A development application for the Mandingalbay Yidinji Corporation’s $39 million Eco Structure development will come before Cairns Regional Council’s ordinary meeting this morning.
The proposal is an ambitious one for such treacherous terrain at East Trinity – three 33m-tall observation towers dotted along a 1.1km boardwalk, with flying fox cables giving tourists a bird’s-eye view of the natural landscape.
The plan includes offices, conference and research spaces, single-storey buildings housing a range of other attractions, shops and restaurants, a high ropes course and rock-climbing walls.
A report to the council reveals there would be accommodation in the form of “glamping” facilities and outdoor hammock spaces for short stays of up to two nights.
Planning officers have recommended the application be approved with strict conditions over its operation.
“The proposed development, in essence, seeks to create an integrated eco-tourism facility aiming to share the history and culture of the Mandingalbay Yidinji people through various facilities on the site,” a report to the council says.
“To the Mandingalbay Yidinji people, the project is also seen as an opportunity to assist in the social development and to act as a piece of legacy infrastructure that can be transferred through … generations.”
East Trinity is currently an environmental reserve owned by the State Government, following failed attempts to grow sugarcane in 1970s which led to a significant issue with acid sulfate soil.
A separate application dealing with building a jetty required to ferry people from Cairns has also been lodged.
editorial@cairnspost.com.au facebook.com/TheCairnsPost www.cairnspost.com.au twitter.com/TheCairnsPost