Finally, it’s Kur-plonk

FAILURE to overcome traffic hurdles proved the final nail in the coffin of a $650 million eco-resort slated for farmland west of Kuranda after a threeyear running battle with the State Government.

The company was expected on Friday to provide planning solutions in an environmental impact study to State Government agencies but an inability to work around huge increases in traffic movements on the Kuranda Range road meant the end of the Myola Valley project.

KUR-World development manager Mark Lawson said it was a disappointing result.

“We have been unable to reach an outcome with (the Department of Transport and Main Roads) with regard to safety solutions to the Kuranda Range road,” he said.

“We tried to compromise 1000 different ways but no compromise was acceptable to TMR.”

Mr Lawson said the company had spent more than three years and millions of dollars to get the resort built.

“(If we) were made aware that we would have to make the road safe in the beginning of this process we never would have started,” he said.

“We feel like we have wasted three years of time and money.

“It’s a failure in the process to consider these deal-braking issues upfront which is when they should have been discussed.”

In pre-empting the failure of the main attraction at Myola, KUR-World lodged a new application to develop “nature-based” accommodation with Mareeba Shire Council last month.

The dramatically scaled back offering proposed the code assessable development of 14 one-bedroom “tents” and five two-bedroom tents to accommodate a total of 54 people. While a vocal group of local residents celebrated the termination of the “monstrosity on our doorstep”, Mr Lawson said the death of the project called into question any projects that could potentially increase traffic on the Kuranda Range road.

“Anyone trying to develop anything west of Smithfield has got some serious concerns,” he said.

“Proponents are not interested in dealing with the State Government anymore at any level.”

The Environmental Defenders Office welcomed the decision against the resort proposed for a “sensitive wildlife corridor”.