Trail takes on Tassie
Wangetti Trail to pump up eco credentials
TASMANIA’S tenuous claim to be Australia’s ecotourism capital is on increasingly thin ice with $9 million in new works about to launch on the Wangetti Trail.
Tourism Minister Kate Jones (below) will today inspect the ongoing construction of a 65m pedestrian bridge spanning the Mowbray River.
She will make a $9 million call for tenders to build a 31km stretch of track from Palm Cove to Wangetti.
TASMANIA’S tenuous claim to be Australia’s eco-tourism capital is on increasingly thin ice with $9 million in new works about to launch on the Wangetti Trail.
Tourism Minister Kate Jones will today inspect the ongoing construction of a 65m pedestrian bridge spanning the Mowbray River, home of Mo, the famous sunbaking croc.
She will use the visit as a launch pad for a new $9 million call for tenders to build a 31km stretch of track from Palm Cove to Wangetti.
“These workers are building a major new tourism icon for Far North Queensland,” Ms Jones said.
“We’re investing $41 million to build the Wangetti Trail – a 94km walking and mountain biking trail from Palm Cove to Port Douglas.
“This project will create up to 150 jobs and pump more than $300 million into the local economy once it’s operational.”
“New attractions like this that will bring thousands more tourists to the region are exactly what we need to boost this industry.
“Because Queenslanders have done such a great job in fighting COVID-19, we can now focus on Queensland’s economic recovery.”
Construction of the first leg of the trail is expected to take about a year to complete.
Cook MP Cynthia Lui said the entire project was still on track for a late-2022 opening.
“We live in one of the most beautiful places in the world,” she said. “The Wangetti Trail is something special.
“By sharing this attraction with tourists from around the world, I have no doubt we could challenge the likes of Tasmania as the eco-tourism capital of Australia.”
Barron River MP Craig Crawford said investment in new infrastructure was critical to Queensland’s economic stimulus.
“That’s why we’re investing in new attractions like the Wangetti Trail that we know will grow the industry here in Cairns and provide great flowon benefits for local businesses,” he said.