‘It’s crazy’: Isolated Far North flood victims call for compensation ahead of disaster recovery meeting

New photos have revealed the extent of damage to critical Far North Queensland roads as a key tourism community lobbies for more support.

Scarred mountainsides highlight the damage done by Tropical Cyclone Jasper and the floods, Douglas Shire Michael Kerr says.

A flood-hit Far North community is calling for compensation as businesses face a looming financial crisis and claims “it will take years” for a critical road to return to its former glory.

Douglas Shire mayor Michael Kerr and Disaster Recovery Minister Nikki Boyd will sit down with concerned Cape Tribulation residents on Thursday, desperately seeking a way in and out of the scenic seaside village.

Douglas Shire mayor Michael Kerr says business impacted by flooding and subsequent road closures risk going broke if they don’t receive more compensation from the State and Federal government. Picture: Brendan Radke

The world famous tourism town is inaccessible by road after Tropical Cyclone Jasper and floods washed away huge sections of Cape Tribulation Road and the Bloomfield Track earlier this month.

Aerial photos taken by Mr Kerr last weekend reveal the scarred mountainsides and hundreds of tonnes of uprooted trees and massive boulders that have destroyed key infrastructure in the region.

“This is a major disaster,” Mr Kerr said.

“There’s a lot of geotechnical work that still needs to be done.

“It’s crazy. There are huge chasms and rips through sections where the road is completely gone.

“(Nearby community) Degarra is heartbreaking. There are slabs on the ground where houses used to be. It’s absolutely devastating.”

Entire sections of the Cape Tribulation Road and the Bloomfield Track have been completely swept away, Mr Kerr said.

Cape Tribulation businessman Lawrence Mason estimated he had already lost more than $30,000 in earnings this month, with money freely flowing out the door.

“Everyone’s getting a bit stressed,” Mr Mason said.

“Some of these people have spent millions of dollars on their (accommodation) properties.

“I’m not sure how they’re going to meet their commitments if they don’t get this road open.

“We just need to get it done.”

Re-opening Cape Tribulation Road was one of Douglas Shire’s top priorities, Mr Kerr said.

“We want to band-aid it and just get it open,” he said.

“People need to be in control of their own destinies.”

But businesses in the meantime need support, he said.

“I cannot afford a second economic crisis in this shire,” Mr Kerr said.

“The money you normally make over this period is what keeps you going.

“Unfortunately, there’s no foreseeable date to give them when the road will open.

“So it’s imperative that a compensation plan is put in place.”

Causeway, culverts and bridges have all been damaged along Cape Tribulation Road and on the Bloomfield Track during the recent floods.

Mr Mason, who airlifted 200 kilograms of essential items into the community this week, said many residents had been effectively trapped in town for almost two weeks.

“We’re not making any income at the moment,” he said.

“We’re going to get a rates bill and insurance bills that we probably can’t pay.”

It’s estimated that more than 2000 truckloads of green waste will need to be removed from the Daintree and nearby areas in the coming months.

Multiple attempts to reach Ms Boyd were unsuccessful prior to deadline.

Originally published as ‘It’s crazy’: Isolated Far North flood victims call for compensation ahead of disaster recovery meeting