Thousands of tourism jobs on the cyclone-hit Capricornia Coast could be lost if the region's national parks are not quickly repaired, a senior tourism figure says.
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The region's big tourism drawcards - the rainforest of coastal Byfield National Park and Great Keppel Island – were both extensively damaged by Cyclone Marcia last week.
There are still 100 national parks and protected areas on the Capricornia Coast closed or badly damaged, according to Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service's Environmental Recovery Unit executive director Clive Cook.
In the Capricornia Region, tourist accommodation is damaged, power will not be back until Tuesday next week, roads are still blocked and damaged, and communications are still badly impacted.
The concerns for tourism jobs were raised at a Cyclone Marcia Economic Recovery meeting in Brisbane on Wednesday.
Queensland's Tourism Industry Council chief executive Daniel Gschwind said this was a very serious problem for Central Queensland's recovery after Cyclone Marcia.
"In that region - the Rockhampton, Yeppoon, Fraser Coast, down to the North Burnett region - there are thousands of tourism jobs," Mr Gschwind said.
"There are 4000 to 5000 jobs there and there could be losses of tourism jobs there.
"The loss of wages, it could have a real multiplier effect."
New Environment Minister Dr Steve Miles said Cyclone Marcia went right over Byfield National Park, one of the jewels in Queensland's national parks estate.
"Capricorn area parks were hardest hit with Byfield National Park being directly in the path of Marcia as the cyclone made landfall," Dr Miles said.
Byfield National Park, just north of Yeppoon, is an internationally-recognised drawcard for tourists.
"We know our parks and forests are important to tourism and people's livelihood," Dr Miles said.
"It's a priority to get them reopened and Queensland's Parks and Wildlife Services will be making every effort," he said.
"The focus will be on popular sites, even if we can just open a park's day-use area," he said.
Byfield National Park is still closed by road, with a large number of trees downed and tourist facilities destroyed. Staff have moved to begin clearing away the damage.
Great Keppel Island is struggling with erosion to its beaches and the collapse of several holiday units.
Dr Miles said other national parks and state forests were also badly impacted.
"Many are still inaccessible and early reports indicate that parks and forests in Marcia's path have sustained a huge number of tree-falls, flooding, erosion, track and road washouts and landslides" he said.
"Coastlines and islands will be affected by debris and we'll work with the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and other partners in the reef locations."
Mr Gschwind said he had been told Byfield "looked as though a lawnmower had been run through it."
However the popular Fraser Island, Inskip and Cooloola recreation areas are now partially opened.
Clive Cook from Queensland's Parks and Wildlife Service said early assessments forecast over 200 national parks, state forests and protected areas were smashed by Cyclone Marcia. But later on-ground checks indicated around 100 parks and protected areas were affected.
"The damage is pretty significant up there around Byfield National Park, because that is where the eye of the cyclone passed over," he said.
"It stripped all the vegetation and blocked roads and tracks, created a fair bit of erosion to the beaches and put holes in access roads," Mr Cook said.
"Staff are beavering away cutting their way back into Byfield National Park, as we speak."
He said there was widespread damage through Central Queensland parks and natural attractions which was hampering access for tourism operators.
"Initially, the footprint of the cyclone indicated that potentially we had a very serious environmental impact across its swathe, when it tracked across from the coast, inland," he said.
"And that could have well over 200 national parks and protected areas."
"The number we are looking at now is less than 100, but we expect that to grow as the guys get in and inspect more parks."
He said the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority had flown over sections of the Southern Great Barrier Reef, but had not reported any significant problems to fringing coral cays.
He said access to national parks and natural tourism drawcards was critical to getting tourists back the area.
"Access is the key and getting access to these places is often pretty epic."
A spokesperson for Kate Jones said "The Minister has been in constant contact with Daniel Gschwind and Mary Carroll (CEO of Capricorn Enterprises, the region's peak tourism body) to hear from them directly about the issues tourism operators are facing on the ground.
"Although they have not raised national parks with her, the Minister will continue to work with industry to support operators in the recovery and has lobbied for Category B assistance to be made available to small businesses affected by the cyclone.
"The Minister looks forward to meeting with local businesses and operators when she visits Rockhampton and Yeppoon on Friday where she will talk about the resilience of the industry and the new Southern Great Barrier Reef marketing campaign that will launch next week."
