Trail disaster

State government must announce new timelines for Wangetti, and stick to them

The Port Douglas mayor sums it up with three words. “Enough is enough.” Today the Cairns Post revealed the delay of the landmark Far North Queensland project — expected to receive attention across the world — is due to infighting between government departments.

Companies have also taken severe financial hits and undisclosed taxpayer dollars have been spent on seemingly unpublished contracts, according to insiders.

The Wangetti trail was meant to result in a 94km walking and mountain biking trail from Palm Cove to Port Douglas is expected to deliver 150 jobs and $300m into the local economy.

But the world class walking track that was set for a “progressive opening” from 2022 is yet to get off the ground.

“The main issue has been the communication between departments, as well as the fact they thought it was going to be easier and a lot less expensive than it has been,” Douglas Shire mayor Michael Kerr said.

“They are all going in their own directions. It took a case of sitting down together and saying ‘You need to start talking together, enough is enough, it has to go ahead, so start communicating.”

The state government has failed to provide a significant update on the project for more than 12 months despite multiple requests from this publication.

Then there’s also the escalating project costs — $21m in 2018, $41.4m in 2020 and then $47.1m in 2023. There is no doubt that once complete this track will become a drawcard for the region, but with no start date in sight, there is little wonder so many people are frustrated.

No one will dismiss the complexities associated with this trail and — to the Tourism Minister’s defence — it is something we must get right.

But there’s also no denying the project is over budget and three years behind its original start date.

We know that it is new territory and unprecedented but that shouldn’t be an excuse not to set (or reset) the goalposts — and stick to them.

The sooner people have a clear understanding of when it will become a reality, the better.