There are concerns that a large part of the rebuild and repair of Cape Tribulation Road in the Daintree might not be finished in time for the next wet season, potentially risking further major damage during heavy rain events.

Local business owner and Daintree community advocate Jeremy Blockey has told Newsport there’s a “lack of urgency” in the whole Council-managed process of rebuilding a huge landslip on the Noah Range section of the road – and that the whole design and tender process is simply taking too long.

“One has to wonder why they can’t move a bit more quickly,” Mr Blockey said.

Several areas along Cape Trib Rd were affected by Cyclone Jasper and the massive rainfall event it brought – and the region’s only access road was cut off completely for months.

Noah Range suffered the largest damage with the landslip and the Alexandra Range section was also badly affected.

Mr Blockey said that it is crucial the rebuild is finished before the next wet season.

He said the process appears to have slowed, with little or nothing being done on the work “for the past couple of months.”

He added: “We can only hope that nothing gets delayed and that they actually achieve something before the beginning of the next wet season, because leaving it as an unstable slope could I think, be catastrophic.”

Council’s latest ‘Daintree Coast Road Update’ newsletter dated mid-June said of the Noah Range section: 

“The project team is preparing the Reconstruction of Essential Public Assets (REPA) submission to cover the cost to remove the remaining land mass above the slip. At this stage, it is anticipated work on removal of the land mass will commence in September.”