Barron Gorge Rd access denied to recreational kayak community
Cairns’ recreational paddling community has been blocked from accessing the Barron River’s upper access points for almost 12 months - and it could be another year before kayakers are allowed to hit the rapids.
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Cairns’ recreational paddling community has been blocked from accessing the Barron River’s upper access points for almost 12 months - and it could be another year before kayakers are allowed to hit the rapids.
Barron Gorge Road was significantly damaged during Cyclone Jasper and the December 2023 floods, and it remains closed to the general public with only power station workers, contractors and a commercial operator permitted access over the past 11 months.
It means the closest paddling training ground for up and coming kayakers outside of the wet season is the Tully River, more than two hours south of Cairns.
It’s understood the local paddling community has made multiple representations to Cairns Regional Council pleading for recreational access, but the local government has denied the request citing indemnity for commercial operators and workers was the point of difference to general members of the public.
Paddling enthusiast Dr Liz Jackson then launched a petition in October which received 300 signatures, calling on CRC to “immediately grant access for the recreational paddling community to Barron Gorge Road between 3.30pm and 6.30pm daily and/or at the time of commercial tourism operator access.”
“It’s either safe enough so a busload of tourists can be driven up it, and therefore it should be safe enough for the recreational paddling community to access the river, or it’s not safe, in which case no amount of indemnity should really be covering an unsafe road,” Dr Jackson said.
“Understandably there needed to be repairs, but they did let in buses months ago and we’re just seeking to have access at the same time as the buses.”
Dr Jackson said recreational users accessed the river from a point near the lookout car park, before paddling back towards Lake Placid, but “climbed up a rock wall” to exit the river prior to reaching the known crocodile habitat.
“Many people live in this part of the world to enjoy this wonderful sport, and we consider it to be an inspirational and central part to the Far North’s paddling activities.
“We’re in the build-up to the Brisbane Olympics now and we should be really bolstering safe white water kayaking and paddling – it’s a great sport,” Dr Jackson said.
“We’ve got all these kids wanting to be like their hero Jess Fox, they’ll be the age she was at her first Olympics when the Brisbane Olympics come around, but we have no access.”
But in a blow to recreational paddlers, a Cairns Regional Council spokesman said the closure would likely remain in place for at least another 12 months, with the availability of resources and experts prioritising “other projects that are seen as critical to the region (such as the repair of the Kuranda Range Road)”.
The spokesman said the commercial business had an agreement with the operator of the power station to use the road, and that “by restricting the traffic to CleanCo and the commercial operators, council is mitigating the risks.”
“The road embankment (downslope to the river) has eroded / slipped in approximately 15 locations, and there are numerous areas where the above slope has slipped down onto the road,” the spokesman said.
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Originally published as Barron Gorge Rd access denied to recreational kayak community
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