DOUGLAS Shire Council has confirmed the Noah Range on Cape Tribulation Road will reopen on Thursday, 28 March, just in time for Easter.
The road will open under traffic management from 6am–7.30pm daily, for vehicles no longer than 12.5 metres, whether towing a trailer, campervan, or caravan.
Access will be dependent on no further heavy rain events however, the installation of concrete barriers at the base of the landslip has improved resilience and reduced the frequency and duration of closures.
Rectification works, which have been ongoing for several months but hindered due to ongoing poor weather and unsafe conditions, included the removal of 2250 truckloads of landslip debris.
Deputy Mayor Lisa Scomazzon thanked the community of Cape Tribulation for their patience while staff and contractors dedicated more than 7500 hours creating a safe passage through Noah Range
“It has been a challenging time for those left isolated when a 56-metre landslip at Noah Range in December and we are well aware of the ongoing stress, both financially and emotionally, TC Jasper and the flooding that followed has caused for this community,” Ms Scomazzon said.
“We are thankful to each person in Cape Tribulation for their resilience and cooperation. We know it’s not been easy.
“Many of the tourism operators have been without an income while the need for regular closures at Noah Range impacted on their ability to go about their everyday lives.
“The safety of road users, staff and contractors was always Council’s priority but we realise it has been a long wait for those that lives rely on access to Cape Tribulation Road.”
Tourism Port Douglas Daintree chief executive officer Glen Hingley said it was tremendous to see that the ‘road to recovery’ would finally be open to the small businesses of Cape Tribulation.
“As one of Queensland’s true jewels in its tourism crown, having visitors again able to experience Cape Tribulation means that the eco-sustainable tourism businesses that depend upon year-round visitation can again operate, providing locals employment,” Mr Hingley said.
“Cape Tribulation is a very special place, providing eco-travellers from around the globe the opportunity to experience the only place on the planet where two world heritage-listed sites connect, where the Daintree Rainforest meets the Great Barrier Reef.
“The visitor economy of Cape Tribulation is crucial to supporting and protecting the future of jointly managed Daintree National Park, supporting nature conservation through nature- based recreation.
“Furthermore, with over 200,000 visitors per year to the Daintree, it is pivotal to the visitor economies of Douglas Shire and Tropical North Queensland.
A community reference group is being created to facilitate two-way communications between the community and Council while repairs to both Cape Tribulation Road and the Bloomfield Track are planned and implemented.
The intention is for the group to help inform arrangements such as opening hours and/or to raise any issues with traffic control, truck movements.
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