YOU SAID IT! Reader letters and comments on this week's hottest topics

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Grahame Hilton, maintenance at Ocean Front Holiday Park at Ellis Beach questions why it is Wangetti Trail has had millions spent on it while Ellis Beach is washed away, threatening infrastructure and livelihoods. Picture: Bryan Littlely

They are the biggest stories of the week here at Newsport and they have got our readers talking. Here's what the week of news has you saying.

To join the conversation, drop your comments at the bottom of our stories, send your letters to [email protected] or make a comment on our Facebook page. 

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Troubled Trail cops a hiding

One just needs to take a close look at the terrain north of Wangetti to see the absurdities of such a trail.

The extremely rugged steep and isolated rainforest section would require more effort to cut a trail through than the original Cook Highway did along the coast, and look how fragile the highway is in a major rain event.

In fact, Quad Road being re-built for vehicle traffic with a bicycle lane added so that mountain bikes could ride up to Black Mountain road and access Port Douglas via the Bump Track would be a much smarter use of money and more viable. You gain another much needed second road access to the Tablelands and utilise existing infrastructure, and a proper viable Wangetti Trail to Port Douglas.

In fact, didn't the recent Gran Fondo utilise the exact same route from Hartley's Crocodile Park to Port Douglas, a much smarter move for the new Cook MP David Kempton than a ridiculous destruction of rainforest and all the consequences that would bring in constant bills for maintenance, emergency access incase of an accident, no phone coverage in an emergency etc.

In fact, it's about as 'smart' and environmentally absurd as the destruction of vast virgin forests for wind farms owned by foreign company's driving our power bills up for their profit. Another 'green' white elephant. Give me coal any day.

A usable Quad Road would be a far greater asset to the Cook electorate than an unviable ridiculously expensive goat track. Oh and add to the list a new pipeline from Quad dam to the Douglas Shire so we can guarantee water for the Shire and provide sustainable irrigation water for the future diversification of the farming so it can move away from cane.

A Smart future instead of a dumb waste of money.

Trevor - Via Newsport comments

LOL, when you examine the path the trail takes through Ellis Beach and can see where the floods cut the earth in half. this track won't be there very long before it's washed into the ocean.

Graham - Via Newsport comments

Folks look at the facts: No work completed on that road for 10 months.

Speaking to traffic controllers said the road is way, way worse than all of you can imagine ( hence no work) - the geo technical engineers keep finding more issues (hence why further seaward lanes have been closed and now longer delays).

Yet LABOR government can spend $47m on a walking bike track (which is now NOT world standard and is turning into a white elephant case built by an inferior contractor who has never built a walking track - let alone world class.

Some of it is already washing away. Government needs to give priority to fixing the road which will now take in excess of two years. The cost for the traffic controllers here and mt Molloy roads are millions and not fixed … not even started.

Neil Jabs - Newsport on Facebook

 

Toppling trees of Douglas

Tree felling contractors at work on Thursday at Four Mile Park. Picture: Bryan Littlely

Helen Walker should research factors such as flood surge, climate change and trees' 'shelf life.' Although the developer is squeezing far, far too many homesites on the block, they would not be valid at current ground levels. Same for Langley Road. John Sullivan has some very pertinent comments on the topic.

Peter McNeill - Via Newsport comments

Every time a council gets concrete happy and want to chop down trees, they justify chopping them all down by using the terms "diseased" or "unhealthy".

That seems to tick the "reason for" box, and off they go. This is disgusting. Don't they know the reason people come to Port is BECAUSE of it’s natural beauty and gorgeous old rainforest trees? If they keep up this development, they will end up with a mini Gold Coast and people will stop coming to Port, and will just go there instead.

Nicole Phelps - Newsport on Facebook

They also cut down two huge shade trees at Hutchings Park. That park gets hot enough as is and now they've removed the only two trees providing adequate shade.

Helen Ha - Newsport on Facebook

Here we go again… more trees being cut down.. does the council have $$ shares with any chainsaw manufacturers?

Rosie Wang - Newsport on Facebook

 

Not sugar coating it

If the rail system was not required for moving the crop this season, it is difficult to see how things would need to be any different next year.

John Browning - Via Newsport comments

 

Water worries

Hendrix Hunt, of Adelaide, takes a drink in Port Douglas. Under emergency water restriction rules, outdoor water use could be stopped for a number of days. Picture: Bryan Littlely

Snap water restrictions. In the so-called wisdom of the Council, they can implement snap water restrictions. All residents should be asking council what they are doing to increase water supply as they grant development approvals? We can’t keep developing and create extra demand and not increase water supply.

Cliff Mitting - Letter to Editor

Seriously? If it’s Brown flush it down if it’s yellow let it mellow?? Kids can’t use water pistols?! What country inside of Australia do we live in? We have the right to flush our toilets at least?

Claire Durrant - Newsport on Facebook

It’s really important the DSC make sure the water issue is fixed so we don’t have to go through this again and again. Water is a fundamental right, the only restrictions should be on gardens and pool if at all.

Flick Boucher - Newsport on Facebook

Did anyone read the part where it said "emergency situation"...... They aren't talking about when general water restrictions come in at this time of year when the Mossman Gorge flow drops to literally a quarter of it's regular flow. But hey I guess that's the Council’s fault as well huh?

Daniel Beau - Newsport on Facebook

 

Cyclone season starts

Obviously people haven't learnt from last summer. Get complacent, laugh at the warnings, be surprised when a natural disaster happens, repeat.

Daniel Charles - Newsport on Facebook

Amazes me that people move to North Qld, pay almost a million $$$ for a home and won't spend a $1000 for a generator for when the power goes out. And, yes, you can cook meals on a gas B-B-Q if the bottle is full. A rain-water tank is handy too. I’ve seen a few cyclones in 67 years and survived.

Craig Marstensen - Newsport on Facebook

 

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