General News
19 March, 2021
Taylor Point hangs in the balance
DESPITE formal offers to purchase Taylor Point closing this month. Cairns Far North Environment Centre (CAFNEC) remained hopeful that the State Government would intervene to secure the property for the community.
A push by CAFNEC to have the State Government purchase Taylor Point as a community asset continues to garner strong support.
The organisation was hoping that some of the funds allocated for the $40m Wangetti Trail development could be redirected to purchase Taylor Point.
However, Member for Barron River Craig Crawford said the purchase of the property was not possible at this time.
‘It would be great to see the Queensland Government purchase the land to protect it but at this stage the funds for the land acquisition aren’t available,” he said.
Mr Crawford said he had raised the issue with colleagues who were supportive of the idea and while he couldn’t see anything happening for another six or twelve months, he would continue to lobby the government to secure funds for the purchase.
‘With everything being so unpredictable there’s every possibility the Government might be in a position to step in to protect Taylor’s Point in six or 12 months if the land and Government funds are available,” he said.
“I can say with certainty I will be continuing to have discussions with my colleagues about how we can protect this important piece of land and trying to secure funds to support the purchase of Taylor’s Point.”
CAFNEC President Denis Walls said the group remained hopeful the government would come to the party with all sectors of the community in support of the purchase.
“The property has an unimproved land value of $6.3m and all sectors of the community are coming together in a concerted push to get the State Government to buy this last remaining undeveloped headland in the northern beaches,” Mr Walls said.
“Indigenous, environmental, recreational and broader community groups are all in favour of the land being used for the long-term benefit of the whole Cairns region rather than as a housing development for the benefit of a few. Taylor Point could be a wonderful addition to Cairns’ suite of natural and cultural assets.
“There is still an optimism there in relation to the intent of State Government.”
Selling agent Jay Beattie of Colliers International confirmed growing interest in what the final result would be but said there was a variety of factors that would determine the sale.
“There’s still a lot of variants from where I’m standing as a commercial agent having done this process so many times before,” he said.
