Why mangrove boardwalk near Cairns Airport may never re-open

The popular mangrove boardwalk near Cairns Airport may never re-open. But Cairns Regional Council has revealed one of the options for the ageing structure.

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THE mangrove boardwalk that has been closed near Cairns Airport could be shut down permanently, in favour of a new boardwalk experience to be built at the northern end of the Esplanade.

The Jack Barnes Bicentennial Mangrove Boardwalk, along Airport Avenue, was closed off to the public two months ago by Cairns Regional Council, citing safety concerns.

Cairns Regional Council has closed the 31 year old Jack Barnes Bicentennial Boardwalk on Airport Drive, but has plans to build a new mangrove boardwalk at the end of the Cairns Esplanade. Shahara Hepworth and Krystal Marlow walk along the Esplanade every week after work, and would love to see an extension of the footpath through the mangroves. PICTURE: BRENDAN RADKE

The council, however, will not say whether it plans on ever reopening the 700m mangrove circuit, which is understood to have suffered from a lack of maintenance.

“Council is engaging a consultant to undertake a thorough evaluation to determine options for the future of the boardwalk,” a council spokesman said.

“There is no timeline for this decision at present.”

New mangrove boardwalk proposed as part of Cairns Regional Council's City Centre Master Plan 2019

A revamped mangrove boardwalk at the northern end of the Esplanade is a key feature council’s Cairns City Centre Master Plan 2019, suggesting this may be one of the options under consideration.

The report, released in April, states a new boardwalk through the mangroves north of the Esplanade, would create “an immersive new walking track experiences through an ecologically valuable landscape and capture unique views to the city”.

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“Given the value and sensitivity of this landscape, the project will require further investigation,” the report says.

The boardwalk, built in 1988, was a lasting contribution to Australia’s Bicentenary and pays tribute to the late Dr Jack Barnes, who discovered the Irukandji jellyfish in the 1960s.

Shawn Bulsey, 1, and his brother Reece Bulsey, 4, play on the sand near the mangroves at the northern end of the Esplanade. PICTURE: BRENDAN RADKE

BirdLife Northern Queensland convener Peter Valentine said the walk was popular among local and visiting birdwatchers.

“It’s a famous place where people go to see Golden Plovers, which are not always easy to find anywhere, because they’re one of our migratory species,” he said.

Originally published as Why mangrove boardwalk near Cairns Airport may never re-open