Cairns Airport mangrove boardwalk: Cairns Regional Council ends lease deal

A Far North ecotourism drawcard is expected to languish in the mangroves after Cairns Regional Council moved to offload the ageing asset.

AN eco-tourism drawcard north of Cairns City is expected to languish in the mangroves for another 12 months after Cairns Regional Council moved to offload the ageing and unsafe asset to the Cairns Airport.

At the council’s planning and environment committee meeting on Wednesday it was decided to end a lease agreement with Cairns Airport, meaning any decision on the future of the Jack Barnes Bicentennial Mangrove Boardwalk will no longer be a local government concern.

The Jack Barnes Bicentennial Memorial Mangrove Boardwalk near the Cairns Airport built in 1988 is in need of repair. PICTURE: SUPPLIED

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The holding agreement over the land on which the boardwalk is built is set to end on December 31, 2021.

“Cairns Airport will be responsible for determining the future use of the boardwalk. This may or may not include other interested parties; this would be at the Cairns Airport’s discretion as the owners of the land,” a council spokesman said.

“Cairns Airport will advise council of what infrastructure is required to either remain or be removed as per the holding over agreement.”

However, when contacted by the Cairns Post, the Cairns Airport declined to comment on the future of the boardwalk.

“(The boardwalk) is a Cairns Regional Council facility located on airport land,” an airport spokeswoman said.

“Council will determine the next steps for the boardwalk.”

It’s understood the parking area of the boardwalk had been used by vehicles waiting to pick up arriving passengers. The arrangement was considered unsafe and could be a factor in future boardwalk decisions expected to be made by Cairns Airport.

“Removal of the boardwalk and remediation of the carpark” was the council officer’s recommended action ahead of the meeting, but it was removed from the agenda item along with a clause that would have permanently closed the boardwalk.

Council agreed at the meeting to complete concept planning for an alternative mangrove boardwalk at the northern end of the Cairns Esplanade.

The boardwalk, built in 1988, paid tribute to the late Dr Jack Barnes, who made the connection between stings and irukandji jellyfish in the 1960s.

Originally published as Cairns Airport mangrove boardwalk: Cairns Regional Council ends lease deal