General News
2 March, 2026
Revival for popular rest area
UNCERTAINTY over the future of a former driver reviver site at Innisfail has now been cleared up.
The Fred Drew rest area at the junction of the Bruce and Palmerston highways at Belvedere was used for many years by drivers needing a break – but the ‘official’ driver reviver status at the stop was moved to visitor information centres at Tully and Cardwell.
In recent years the site has been popular for several longer-term campers, including tents set up for months at a time, as the rental crisis during and following the COVID pandemic hit the region.
The rest area has a toilet block but no showers, picnic tables, barbecues and a children’s playground.
There had been some speculation that the site, on the southern side of the highway junction, would be permanently shut down after a sewage leak in the toilet block as well as “ongoing deterioration”.
But now it’s been confirmed the facility, including the toilet block, owned by the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) and maintained by Cassowary Coast Regional Council, will have its amenities upgraded this year. “Works to build a new sewerage system and upgrade the toilet block are scheduled to begin in early 2026, weather permitting,” a TMR spokesman told The Observer.
“To ensure travellers still have access to essential amenities, Cassowary Coast Regional Council has installed temporary portable toilets at the rest area,” he said.
Council has also confirmed it will continue to maintain the site, including mowing and rubbish removal.
But there’s been no decision over what to do about long-term campers.
Stays at the Fred Drew Rest Area are limited to a maximum of 20 hours and “are intended to support driver fatigue management,” according to the TMR.
Council says it has no jurisdiction over camping at the site.
“As the site is not under council control for regulatory purposes, council is not able to enforce local laws at this location,” a council spokeswoman said.
“In relation to longer-term camping, council has referred matters of illegal camping to TMR,” she said.
As the owner, TMR has yet to decide what action to take about longer term campers.
“TMR continues to explore strategies to address prolonged stays within the road reserve,” the spokesman said.
Read More: Innisfail