Heli down on False Cape

At 10:34am this morning, a private charter helicopter, that was undertaking surveillance photography on the False Cape development site, crashed.

Four people were on board, however there have been no reports of fatalities. One source told CairnsBlog that the chopper was flying very low to the tree canopy.

The Cairns Post captured the scene, soon after the accident.



Renown Queensland landscape photographer, Steve Nowakowski, was one of the passengers on board. He telephoned this morning, soon after the accident, and said he was un-hurt. However was unsure about the state of the pilot and the videographer on board.

Nowakowski has been a vocal opponent of the False Cape development. He was undertaking an up-to-date visual record of the site.

Also on board was Cairns architect Mark Buttrose, who contested Division 6 at the recent Cairns Regional Council elections with Cairns 1st.

The now abandoned site, stretches almost two kilometers along the coast, to the east of Cairns. It has been the focus of much controversy since receiving Council and State development approvals. The site is now widely damaged and scarred, from poorly managed excavation, breach of approvals and lack of any proper sediment traps over the last two years.

The Save False Cape group have been very critical of the lack of action following the fallout when work ceased late last year. They have been particularly critical that the developer's $650,000 security bond has not been used to prevent further sediment run off from the site into the Great Barrier Reef.

The land has a history of accidents, including the fatality of a contract worker on the site when a large bolder fell.

The development has been on hold for some months now, after financial backing was withdrawn late last year. Construction firm CEC pulled out after being owed a substantial amount of unpaid monies for work carried out.

Prior to the recent Council election, CairnsBlog released videos and photos, showing the sediment run-off and erosion. The former Cairns City Council endorsed the developers, including allowing wet season excavation that has been responsible for much of the damage.

From any viewpoint along the Cairns Esplanade, including all northern beach suburbs, you can clearly see the False Cape coastline that has been raped of vegetation and left exposed to the elements.

Today's helicopter crash will cast a further shadow over a development that should have never been approved on such a steep and erosion-prone site.