Mayor reaffirms commitment to ensure much awaited Wangetti Trail becomes a reality
TRAIL DEBATE
It’s faced numerous obstacles, constant roadblocks and has doubters but Douglas Shire Mayor Michael Kerr insists he remains fully supportive of the Wangetti Trail being built and framed as a local attraction to showcase our natural beauty to the world.
In recent times the long-term merits of the trail have been hotly debated by different sectors in the Douglas Shire however Kerr insists the main focus is to ensure the trail, is in fact, a world class trail.
“We want the trail,” an adamant Mr Kerr reinforced to Newsport.
“It can’t just be a world class trail where a specific part of it comes to the Mowbray river and then follows a domestic path that takes you the rest of the way into the heart of Port Douglas.
“We want to make sure the whole trail is world class.”
Just days ago Cairns Regional Council resolved at an Ordinary meeting “to provide a construction lease over the land that Council owns to facilitate construction and delivery of Queensland’s first purpose-built walking and mountain biking track”.
Cairns Regional Council indicated three specific areas of the potential trail are situated within land controlled by the Cairns and Douglas local government areas, thus requiring the two Councils as joint trustees to join together in a trustee lease with Department of Tourism, Innovation and Sport (DTIS).
Cairns Regional Council suggested the recent resolution allows construction of the trail to finally start.
When finished the 94-kilometre Wangetti hiking and bike trail will be a major adventure tourism attraction for the region, starting at Palm Cove and trailing through untouched rainforest and waterfalls.
"Cairns Regional Council has recently signed off on a joint trustee lease to allow construction of the Wangetti Trail to go ahead on land reserves held by the Council," a DTIS spokesperson reiterated to Newsport.
"We know Cairns Regional Council is also finalising its internal approvals.
"This is a strong demonstration of Cairns Regional Council’s strong commitment to the Wangetti Trail and developing more ecotourism and adventure experiences.
"Accelerating ecotourism is one the 75 recommendations made by the Tourism Industry Reference Panel’s Towards 2032 roadmap for reshaping Queensland’s visitor economy.
"The Wangetti Trail is an opportunity to create a new authentic, uniquely Queensland visitor experience to appeal to the growing number of travellers, both domestic and international, seeking out adventure and nature-based tourism in one of the nation’s most biodiverse regions.
"We understand Cairns Regional Council is eager for construction on the southern section of the Wangetti Trail to start as soon as possible.
"The Queensland Government is continuing to work with Douglas Shire Council on securing a similar trustee lease as one of the next important steps to construction of the northern trail."