Cyclone Yasi victims still homeless

Six months after Cyclone Yasi ripped through Queensland's Cassowary Coast, as many as 1000 residents are still without homes.

Mayor Bill Shannon said that although the region was in recovery mode, many were still struggling.

"There is a huge amount of work going on, there's tradesmen and utes and people on roofs, there's action everywhere but there's still many properties that they haven't even started," he told AAP.

He estimated about 1000 local residents were still without homes and many have left the region either temporarily or permanently.

Yasi crossed the coast at Mission Beach on February 3, causing widespread damage to homes between Cairns and Townsville and decimating the local banana industry.

According to state government figures about 4000 buildings were damaged in north and far north Queensland with more than 900 still waiting to be repaired.

However, the damage to infrastructure has been compounded by the impact on the region's three major industries: bananas, sugar and tourism.

"We've still got three of our three industries still doing it tough and that puts huge pressure on our local economy."

Banana crops are starting to recover but the damage to the local environment as well as the high Australian dollar mean tourism businesses are still struggling, Mr Shannon said.

Adding to the concern is the fact that the owners of two of the region's major resorts - Dunk and Bedarra islands, has announced they will sell the properties rather than rebuild following extensive damage from Yasi.

The announcement will likely mean the region will have to do without two of its biggest accommodation bases for another year.

"They are extremely important to the local economy and to lose one season is a huge loss but to lose two seasons will affect the viability of some businesses," Mr Shannon said.

However, he said the region was recovering fairly well.

"We're about where I expected we'd be six months on."