Cassowary Coast Council, Cardwell Chamber call for Government help to revive Port Hinchinbrook
The Cassowary Coast Council and the Cardwell Chamber have teamed up to implore all levels of government to help them in the revival of an abandoned piece of vital infrastructure as locals are left with an “increasing sense of helplessness”.
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The Cassowary Coast Regional Council and the Cardwell Chamber of Commerce have teamed up to implore all levels of government to help them in the revival of an abandoned piece of vital infrastructure, as locals are left with an ‘increasing sense of helplessness’.
Approved in 1995, the Port Hinchinbrook resort and marina development provided a focal point for economic development in Cardwell and surrounds and was acknowledged as vital infrastructure especially with a focus on post-Yasi recovery.
However, the resort remains closed after the development was placed into liquidation twice between 2013 and 2017 and, currently, is no more than a collection of abandoned assets fronting a once-thriving marina.
The council and chamber have submitted a joint submission to the member for Hinchinbrook Nicholas Dametto to call for continued help.
The submission identifies the “need to have a permanent solution for all-tide and all-weather access, including ongoing dredging and maintenance, in One Mile Creek and to proactively seek new and innovative investment attraction models for the former Port Hinchinbrook in Liquidation development”.
All-time access via One Mile Creek is severely limited with vessels predominantly only able to operate within a small window either side of high tide.
“This situation is having substantial socio-economic impacts within Cardwell and the broader Cassowary Coast community,” the submission states.
“The current status of One Mile Creek continues to cause detriment to the Cardwell economy with the decline in recreational fishers and visitors and the lack of access to marine berths.”
“There is also the psychological impacts on business owners and operators and the broader community with an increasing sense of helplessness and frustration in response to the ongoing issues which continue to be unresolved since Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasi in 2011.”
Cardwell tourism and accommodation operators continue to experience declining occupancy rates and turnover, with visitors advising that they are bypassing Cardwell specifically due to the lack of all-tide access.
Cassowary Coast Regional Council CEO Andrew Graffen said to address these challenges effectively, all levels of government needed to collaborate in support of Cardwell’s future.
“We firmly believe that by addressing these challenges Cardwell can unlock its full potential and leverage sustainable economic opportunities for not only the Cassowary Coast but also the broader Far North Queensland region,” Mr Graffen said.
President of the Cardwell Chamber of Commerce Robyn Smith explained why the support is so critical.
“While we understand that this journey may present challenges, it is essential for Cardwell to thrive and capitalise on the unique economic prospects offered by this location,” Ms Smith said.
“Enabling all-tide marine access and infrastructure is pivotal to realising this vision.”
In 2011 Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasi devastated Cardwell with damage to 75 per cent of the town’s buildings, destruction of Port Hinchinbrook Marina, most crops wiped out, a population decline of about 15 per cent and over 30 small businesses closing since the cyclone.
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Originally published as Cassowary Coast Council, Cardwell Chamber call for Government help to revive Port Hinchinbrook
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