Government infighting has driven significant delay to Wangetti Trail project, insider claims
Government department infighting, a series of project managers and secret contractors have constituted a massive delay to a hotly anticipated FNQ adventure trail, an insider has claimed.
Cairns
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Companies have taken severe financial hits and undisclosed taxpayer dollars have been spent on seemingly unpublished contracts while state government infighting has driven a massive delay to the Wangetti Trail, an insider has claimed.
The $47.1m tourism project, which was meant to result in a 94km walking and mountain biking trail from Palm Cove to Port Douglas, came to prominence in 2018 when then Tourism Minister Kate Jones announced the state government would fund the trail’s business case.
The Department of Tourism, Innovation and Sport (DTIS) estimates the project will deliver 150 jobs and inject $300m into the local economy annually.
But the beleaguered trail has suffered numerous setbacks and shifted goalposts.
Sources close to the project have said a rift between DTIS and the Department of Environment and Science (DES) over the design and function of the Wangetti Trail had been the main driver of the project’s delay of two-and-a-half years.
And the issue hasn’t gone unnoticed by those operating on the periphery of the project either.
“The main issue has been the communication between departments, as well as the fact they thought it was going to be a lot easier and a lot less expensive than it has been,” Douglas Shire mayor Michael Kerr said.
“They were all going in their own directions. It took a case of sitting down together and saying ‘You need to start talking together, enough is enough. This is a major project, it has to go ahead, so start communicating’.”
Construction was first due to begin in 2020 and the trail slated to be operational with a “progressive opening” from 2022.
But it appears the state government has given up on promises with no major update provided for more than 12 months.
Tenders for the trail’s two northern sections were meant to be released in 2021.
The project’s website now states they will be released from “2023 onward”.
Running parallel to this delay was the escalating project cost.
In 2018 it was $21m.
By 2020 it had almost doubled to $41.4m.
Now it’s $47.1m.
Shovels still have not hit the ground on the southern section of the trail, the only section put to tender.
Currently, the only tangible evidence of a Wangetti Trail is a pedestrian bridge over the Mowbray River, built in 2020.
According to a source within the project, DTIS has demanded the original dual-use concept be maintained while DES has fought for a walking-only trail, with work unable to start until the two departments could reach an agreement.
The source also said perpetual delays had caused financial damage to contractors.
“The design has been done, it’s then been cross-referenced by another department and there definitely are points of hardships between the two departments agreeing on things,” the source said.
“There’s been an objective from one department to go one way and an objective from another department to go a different way.
“The complications of getting approvals have been enhanced exponentially because of this situation.
“(DES) would have favoured a walking track only. (Others) have fought very hard to keep this as a dual-use track.
“There’s been (companies) involved who have taken a hit from this and shouldn’t have.”
According to the state government’s procurement policy, basic details of contracts with a value of $10,000 or more must be published.
Wagners CFT Manufacturing was awarded a design and construct contract for the Wangetti Trail and partnered with Townsville-based contractor Enviroedge to build the Wangetti South section.
But sources have said DES, not satisfied with where the project was going, brought in contractors GHD and Douglas Partners to conduct additional geotechnical assessments at an undisclosed cost and for reasons neither DES nor DTIS have confirmed.
The project has also suffered a leadership turnover.
According to Denis Donaghy, Destination Cairns’ managing director, the first DTIS project superintendent was replaced.
When asked why, DTIS did not say.
But the state government also recently released an expression of interest for an additional project manager, Mr Donaghy said.
“The government called for expressions of interest … that was about (two) months ago. I guess this was done to take it out of the hands of the bureaucrats,” he said.
DTIS did not give reasons why the EOI was released.
Mr Donaghy said he was hopeful a new project manager could help get the project moving.
“As far as I know, there hasn’t been a shovel in the ground apart from that bridge over the Mowbray; which, as far as I’m concerned, is the bridge going nowhere,” he said.
There have been previous suggestions that complicated Indigenous Land Use Agreements (ILUA) have been a cause for the project’s delay.
One source close to the project said that was not accurate.
“If fingers should be pointed, it’s definitely not at those groups. They’ve caused no delays whatsoever,” the source said.
“ILUA have not stopped anything from getting approved.”
Other stakeholders, including Cairns Regional Council, have recently received project updates from DTIS that did not align with original promises.
“(DTIS) told council’s officers they’re contemplating just putting in a 6km trail just from Palm Cove to Ellis Beach as a trial for 12 months. I got told that in an official meeting,” Division 9 councillor Brett Olds said.
“From day one there’s been big promises this was going to be multi-use, but now they’re saying certain parts of it are just for riding and other parts just for walking.
“The whole community wants this trail to go ahead … the thing was supposed to be finished by March last year, and it’s not even started yet.
“There’s been no transparency. They’re spending (taxpayer) money; they should keep us in the loop with what the problems are.”
A DTIS spokesman said a “significant amount” of preparation work had been finalised.
“This includes the realignment of the trail in some sections of difficult terrain to separate the dual-use walking and mountain bike components of the trail for safety and the durability of the project,” the spokesman said.
“This is a technically complex, dual-use, sustainable trail project through a highly delicate World Heritage-listed area with significant natural, environmental and cultural values in often challenging terrain.
“The trail also covers three national parks, two local government areas, three separate Native Title claims and numerous freehold and reserves held in trust land holdings.
“(The) Wangetti Trail is new territory, it’s unprecedented.
“The expertise of DES in this area is highly valued by DTIS, as is the commitment of Traditional Owners.”
A spokesman for DES said the project’s contractor was finalising an application for final environmental approvals — the same thing a DTIS spokeswoman said the department was trying to secure in October 2022.
“Legally, we have a duty to protect our environment’s natural and cultural values for current and future generations,” the spokesman said.
“Building a dual-use trail within a World Heritage Area across multiple tenures along the steep mountainside requires rigorous planning, approvals and construction designs.
“DES is working closely with DTIS … this includes a collaborative process with DTIS to achieve a trail alignment that addresses geotechnical assessments and complex terrain.
“DES has not withheld any approvals. We note that the contractor is currently finalising their application for lodgement under Section 34 (of the Nature Conservation Act).”
In January, a spokesman for Tourism Minister Stirling Hinchliffe pointed at supply-chain complications as a reason for the delay, despite the project sitting in the design phase.
When contacted last week, Mr Hinchcliffe said he strongly disagreed with any assessment the project had been delayed due to departmental infighting.
“From my perspective the two departments continue to work closely and enthusiastically on Wangetti Trail and always have,” he said.
“Everyone remains committed to getting shovels in the ground as soon as practical.
“I think what’s easily forgotten is Wangetti Trail’s scale and complexity, and we have to get this right.
“This is a highly sensitive Wet Tropics World Heritage-listed area and the days of blindly sending in the bulldozers and letting them rip are long gone.”
Cairns MP and Assistant Tourism Minister Michael Healy was also contacted for comment.
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