Following the fatal accident at the Jungle Surfing attraction in Cape Tribulation recently, Member for Cook Cynthia Lui has called for a discussion on emergency services north of the Daintree.

Ms Lui has called for a roundtable meeting with the Minister for Fire and Emergency Services, local council, and industry groups to debate what more can be done to improve safety in the tourism hotspot.

“This is about ensuring we continue to meet community standards of emergency services into the future, particularly for the remote areas in my electorate,” she said. 

“There is absolutely no suggestion the emergency service response to last week’s tragedy was anything less than adequate.

“This roundtable discussion will provide greater insights into the types of challenges this community faces in relation to remoteness,” she said.

The Cook MP’s call was backed by the Minister for Fire and Emergency Services Craig Crawford.

“I’m keen to hear from Cynthia’s community about what they’d like to see in terms of resources north of the Daintree,” Mr Crawford said.

“There are three SES groups with 63 active members between the Daintree River and Cooktown, as well as five rural fire brigades.

“We know the response time from emergency services was not a factor in this tragic outcome.

“But we face significant challenges with remoteness and terrain, particularly around the Cape, so it’s important to regularly assess our service delivery.”

Douglas Shire Council Mayor Julia Leu said she was pleased her request to the Member for Cook for the meeting had been agreed to and she is looking forward to it.

“Our local emergency services do a fantastic job servicing the Douglas Shire, but we do know that the area north of the Daintree River is more isolated and can become vulnerable, particularly during times of disaster.

“I look forward to working with the State Government on how we could improve the safety in the Daintree Coast community,” Mayor Leu said.