False Cape buyback considered
CAIRNS' ratepayers will continue to foot bills for the failed False Cape resort development, with Cairns Regional Council embarking on a $140,000 environmental clean-up of the East Trinity site.
The council is already owed $122,000 for past remediation work and $178,000 in unpaid rates, but is optimistic it will recoup its debts when the land is sold. The owner of the East Trinity site, Reef Cove Pty Ltd, went into receivership in August last year.
It had planned to use the site for a major resort and residential development, but Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett put a year-long halt on work in September, 2008. It was later extended for another year.
His move followed an environmental audit that uncovered problems with the state of the site and potential run-off into the nearby Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.
Councillors gave unanimous support to the clean-up plan, but some voiced concerns the money may not be recovered.
The site has been on the market since September, and Mayor Val Schier said receivers had told her three expressions of interest had been received.
"We are looking at working though those," Cr Schier said.
"The other suggestion, of course, is we know there’s been community lobbying for the three levels of government to get together and purchase it and rehabilitate it, possibly in collaboration with the indigenous people from Yarrabah.
"If it does come to that down the track, it could be that this is council’s contribution to getting it back in public ownership."
Lobby group Save False Cape, which formed to oppose the initial development and has since been calling for a public buy-back, said Cr Schier’s comments about a buy-back were encouraging.
"But it is frustrating that the developer is getting away with its duty of care to remediate damage done to that land," the group’s Denis Walls said.
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Costly:Thousands of dollars will be spent cleaing up environmental damage at the failed False Cape resort development.
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