Councillor’s plan to keep business up in Springbrook after road opens

For nearly two years, the main road up to Springbrook was closed before recently reopening. Now its local councillor has revealed just how he will keep business booming in the area.

A BUSINESS boom is happening at Springbrook, coming hot on the heels of the reopening of the main road up the mountain.

Traders are delighted, the tourists are returning and a city councillor has revealed a plan on how the momentum should be maintained.

It has taken two years for Springbrook’s main lifeline road to reopen, since Ex-Tropical Cyclone Debbie smashed through the region and caused huge damage, with heavy rain and landslides blocking the main road up from Mudgeeraba.

Gold Coast-Springbrook Road was re-opened to traffic this morning.

The 10km section was closed after it was damaged by Severe TC Debbie.

We’d like to thank the local Springbrook community for your patience and understanding during the restoration project.#qldtraffic pic.twitter.com/MNlBLUQBlD

— Transport and Main Roads Queensland (@TMRQld) December 17, 2018

Engineers and road crews had to tackle blockages and rebuild the road over a 7.5km stretch, with the road finally reopened in mid-December. Until then, vehicles heading up the mountain had to use an alternative, longer route.

The alternative route took them along Nerang-Murwillumbah Rd, a journey almost double the length and adding an extra 20 minutes.

Councillor Glenn Tozer, who has been the region’s unofficial “cheerleader” over the 20 months it took to rebuild the severed transport artery, said he was excited and determined to keep the boost in visitor numbers happening.

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The damage to the road has only recently been repaired. Picture: Jerad Williams

“It’s mostly the convenience of regular visitors from the Gold Coast up there. We are getting some feedback that people are returning to the mountain and we’re hoping that will continue with the start of the new year,” he said.

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“We’ve got a plan to keep it going. I can’t say too much right now but the Gold Coast Film Festival will be featuring a fairly exciting tourism activity as part of their film festival this year.

“There will be a series of things in the coming months of unique tourism opportunities people can experience up on the mountain.”

Customers have flooded back to Polly’s Country Kitchen. Picture: Jerad Williams

Business owners at Springbrook are already reporting a major rise in customers.

Polly’s Country Kitchen manager Laurie Fairall said they could “barely keep up” with the demand.

“We’re relieved, we’re very relieved … since Boxing Day it’s been fantastic,” he said.

“When the road was closed, after 2pm we never got any customers because there was no one coming up. Now we’re busy right up until 5.

“The week between Christmas and New Year’s was over the top, everyone coming to have a look and we weren’t expecting it so we just got smashed every day, we were out shopping every day trying to keep it going.

Judith Taylor has been working hard to keep things under control at Polly’s Country Kitchen. Picture: Jerad Williams

“It’s levelling out now to what we can cope with … we just about went broke, it was only assistance that kept us going.”

His partner, Judith Taylor, said they had been forced to undergo big changes to keep the eatery open.

“We were open three days a week and we had to start opening seven days just to keep it alive,” she said.

For now, it seems “word of mouth” is what’s getting people to Springbrook. Visiting from Brisbane, Gary Collins said he had decided to take his family along for the day after his wife spotted the destination online.

Parents Katrina and Gary Collins, along with their children Millie, 10, Johnathan, 12, and Ruby, 7, spent the day out at Springbrook. Picture: Jerad Williams

“We had no idea it was even closed, we just decided to come for a drive up here,” he said.

“We love those sort of drives so it’s been great. We were just looking for somewhere to take the kids since it’s school holidays and I go back to work next week.”

Hiker Jessica Chen, joined by friends Vicky Su and Danica Liu, also visited from Brisbane for the day, and reported seeing dozens of other tourists along the trails.

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Vicky Su, Jessica Chen and Danica Liu had just finished their hike. Picture: Jerad Williams

“We’re really surprised, we wouldn’t have thought that at all (that the road to Springbrook had only just reopened), but I guess I would have thought it would be a bit busier because it’s school holidays,” she said.

“I think the majority of people we saw around might have been tourists.”