THE Cassowary Coast's three main economic drivers continue to struggle six months after cyclone Yasi with industry representatives in bananas, sugar and tourism admitting full recovery is a long way off.

Work to clear cyclone debris from walking tracks on Dunk Island will finally start this week but local business owners say more infrastructure is needed on the island or they may not survive its closure.

Once a thriving tourist mecca, Mission Beach is struggling six months after Yasi. Some businesses have folded, 40 per cent of the restaurants are yet to open and tourist numbers are down.

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Since Yasi many business owners have upped their loans to keep them going until resorts on Dunk and Bedarra islands open again.

News that both resorts will be put on the market as is has left some tourism operators with a hard decision to make – stay or go.

"Most of Mission was pinning their hopes on Dunk Island reopening," said Dunk Island Sport Fishing owner Alister Pike.

"It was the light at the end of a very long, dark tunnel for many of us and now it’s been blacked out."

Mr Pike said he can’t see someone stepping in to get the resorts back up and running.

He thinks the community needs to push for an area for day-trippers to encourage people to come to Mission Beach.

Before cyclone Yasi the Mission Beach Dunk Island Water Taxi was a successful business for owners Nathan and Vanessa Mood, bringing in close to $2000 a day in the peak season.

Six months on they are struggling to cover costs as they run a small number of tours around the island.

The couple say they are looking into opportunities on Dunk Island but they are scared red tape will hold things up.

"It’s all good that the Government has talked about speeding up the recovery but doing something two years later is not good enough," said Mr Mood.

"Dunk Island is the No. 1 thing to do for day-trippers to Mission Beach and we can’t just have it empty with a dead resort. No one here can afford to just sit back for another tourist season and wait for the island to reopen.

"If the State and Federal governments are serious about helping us recover then blast the red tape and let’s get something going over there."

The region’s $300 million banana industry is starting to make a comeback but growers say they face many months with little income before they are back to full production.

Liverpool Creek grower Steve Lizzio says growers are starting to pack fruit, but cash will not start flowing for a few months.

"We are all picking and packing but I am talking about 10 per cent of what we should be," he said.

"Over the coming weeks the number will increase but there will be some tough months ahead with no income – a few of us will keep going to the bank to beg for some leeway and I don’t think we will be back in full production until next year, that’s if we don’t get another cyclone."

Sugar cane growers are also facing a recovery of up to three years due to Yasi and last year’s extended wet season.

Tully cane grower Tom Harney said cyclone affected growers were not expecting to cover their costs this season.

He said fields of standover cane were being condemned by the district’s mill for having a CCS of less than 7 per cent and predictions were for a loss of 1.2 million tonnes of cane.

"After Yasi, the sugar industry put out a pessimistic view of our predicted losses so people would not be too disappointed," he said. "Unfortunately, six months later the crop is living up to expectations; even worse.

"I’d say we are staring down the barrel of the worst season on record.’’

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