Cairns Regional Council signs off on controversial Northern Beaches link road

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Construction is expected to begin in April next year on a controversial new road linking residential areas of Trinity Beach and Kewarra Beach.

The thoroughfare will widen and extend Miami Road in Kewarra Beach to the eastern end of the Trinity Beach Sporting Precinct to meet Trinity Beach Road.

Councillors today ratified a vote by the Works Committee to proceed with the project, after a petition calling for the plan to be abandoned was put to the Council in June.

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738 residents signed the document, while the Council also received hundreds of submissions objecting to the road, which has been in the Council’s Traffic Management Plans since 1995.

The main concerns for residents have included increased traffic and noise, and impacts to the local agile wallaby population.

Construction will include the demolishing of an occupied Trinity Beach home owned by Transport and Main Roads, the lease of which will expire before demolition.

Owners of the homes on either side are also among those who’ve campaigned against the plan.

Division Nine Councillor Brett Olds told Tropic Now Council will work with impacted homeowners to help design new driveways and fencing.

He said council staff also recently met with Trinity Anglican School (TAS) to discuss the project and address any concerns.

“One of the ideas that came up from TAS is to put a roundabout on that Kewarra Beach side,” he said.

“We’re very likely to bring that forward and include it in the project.”

Agile wallabies

The extended road will cross through the grasslands adjacent to Trinity Beach Sports Fields;  an area currently inhabited with around 700 trapped agile wallabies.

After recently meeting with council officers, The Agile Project founder and ecologist Shai Ager said she’s pushing for measures to keep the wallabies protected from the new link road.

“Appropriate measures would need to be implemented by Council to prevent wallaby deaths on the road, such as fencing, vegetation management and animal deterrents,” she said.  

“A designated and revegetated green space would also help keep the wallabies away from roads and suburban backyards.

“If strategies like this aren’t implemented, there’s indisputable evidence that suggests the proposed road will lead to an increase in wallaby strikes on the Northern Beaches.”

This year, The Agile Project has recorded more than 400 wallabies deaths across Cairns, largely due to car strikes and dog attacks.

The volunteer group has been authorised to relocate 400 animals to private bush blocks outside of the city, with plans to apply for another permit from the state government.