Community
22 December, 2024
Merry Christmas and a prosperous new year
'Gazza's Gossip' "LAST week the ‘Goss’ revisited the trauma of Cyclone Jasper’s visit and the initial hardship caused by one of the biggest rain events in Australia for several decades."
Hopefully, the next couple of weeks will be an opportunity, for many, to put the past year’s difficulties on the back burner and enjoy some rest and relaxation with friends and family.
While we all hope for a happier new year than that experienced 12 months ago, there will no doubt be the question of how things will pan out for 2025, with a number of issues still somewhat up in the air.
Firstly, just getting in and out of the Douglas Shire, from the south, is a lengthier process than it used to be. While most would agree that the initial effort to get the ‘winding road’ open earlier this year was a great achievement, some are now questioning when the next stage of repair will be addressed.
Nobody will doubt the extent of the work required to get the Captain Cook Highway, between Port Douglas and Palm Cove, fully back to two lanes. For those with an extra hour on their journey each day, however, at least some form of time line would be a start.
The Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) hinted that some work may begin prior to Christmas, subject to suitable weather, but as of writing this week’s ‘Goss’, the next stage of work still seems to be awaiting a start date.
Another big question for the Douglas Shire and, in particular Mossman, in the new year will be the future of the local sugarcane industry.
During the recent state election, suggestions were made that not only could sugarcane harvesting continue into the future but even the Mossman Mill may have a chance of survival, with financial investment and a vision to produce other biproducts during the sugar making process.
The rehoming of Mossman Mill’s locomotive stock to the Cassowary Coast recently was not only a sad sight for those who watched their departure, but it also tended to suggest that the historic mill had finally met its end date.
Some locals have said for some time that the mill has “done its dash” and that we need to move on with something new. All up, it has left a very unclear message for local cane farmers who have to make the difficult decision whether to invest in a potential season during 2025, or utilise their land in another way.
This in itself can be a challenge, when some land may no longer be suitable for certain farming. One example of this is cattle grazing, where the land may require a lengthy period of time to recover from cane farming, because of the chemicals that have been previously used in the soil.
One helping hand is the recent announcement that the Queensland Government has extended its disaster recovery grant applications for primary producers affected by Cyclone Jasper. Applications are now extended until June 30, 2025, which should provide sugarcane growers and the community as a whole an opportunity to further recover in the first half of next year.
Finally, there is no doubt that some residents of the Douglas Shire are still in recovery mode both north and south of the Daintree River. Fortunately, the tenacity of local businesses has meant that many have been back and operational for some time.
We can only hope that the weather is kind to us over the forthcoming months and, as a community, we can continue to build on our efforts made so far this year.
May I take the opportunity to wish everybody a peaceful Christmas and prosperous new year.
The ‘Goss’ will be back in 2025, but for now it’s Gazza signing out.
Send your stories to gazza@cairnslocalnews.com.au
