JUNGLE DRUM: Cane harvest, Gem's love story, budget reaction, Noah Bridge, Bloomfield Track thoughts
LAWRENCE MASON COLUMN
I was really pleased for the local cane farmers when I heard that this year’s crop can come off. It is a great result for them. However, the concerns about safety on the highway are also real, and make no mistake, this is NOT the same as carting sugar.
There will be many trucks, and hopefully police will be monitoring not only the trucks, but everyone’s driving during this time. The last thing we need is more accidents.
Gemma’s unrequited love
It was so lovely to read ‘Gemma’s’ story of seeing the man of her dreams, and sad when we learned he was taken.
I was also sad to learn that ‘Gemma’ wasn’t silly enough to believe my story that it was actually a chubby old bloke from Cape Trib.
Apparently her eyesight is better than that! But it does beg the question that maybe there is an opening for some speed dating nights in Port or whatever the process is these days? Meeting online is all good, but ‘Gemma’s’ story reminded me that there is an old-fashioned way to meet too.
The DSC Budget
The DSC budget looked good on the whole and I was pleased they considered more beautification north of the river.
It is so annoying when I drive down our neglected road, then into Port where seemingly there are people waiting for a palm leaf to fall.
Of course, we don’t require the level of work that Port has, but a bit more love won’t go astray. Just enough work so we can see wildlife before they are on the tar would be good.
Noah Bridge
The saga of Noah Bridge continues, and hopefully, in the aftermath of Jasper, it can finally be built.
However, I am deeply concerned that we will need to rely on a temporary causeway for perhaps two years.
Noah’s is not really a creek, more of a river, and has huge headwaters in VERY high rainfall country.
Even in the ‘dry’ season it can rise and fall several metres in a matter of hours. If the temporary causeway is damaged, the economic impact will be severe.
Not really what we need after Jasper. Hopefully DSC can pull out all the stops and get the job done quickly. A class action by residents and businesses, backed by insurance companies would not be pretty for DSC.
The Bloomfield Track
It was great to see the track open early, and I must acknowledge that the jobs done best so far over here have been by what I call ‘Ronnie Jack’s Crew’.
Not only do these blokes work hard, not stopping every time there is a mist, but they interact in a positive and friendly way with the community.
The results speak for themselves. Thornton’s landslides – job done. Bloomfield – open. But as soon as it rained the track turned to slush, and highlighted the fact that at some point significant re-sheeting will need to occur.
A wet track is not a place for trailers now. Hopefully we get some ‘doers’ onto Noah range soon, or it will be here falling on the road next wet season.
*Lawrence Mason has lived at Cape Tribulation all his life, and has been involved in farming, timber and tourism. He is a former board member of Tourism Port Douglas Daintree, founding Chair of Daintree Marketing Co-operative, and has been a member of both Alexandra Bay and Mossman State High School P&C. He is also a member of the Douglas Chamber of Commerce and has a keen interest in local issues.
- The views in this column are of the author and author only and do not reflect the views of the editor or Newsport staff.
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