Fisheries Bridge, Goldsborough

Fisheries Bridge

This project is part of a program of works Council has developed to reconstruct selected essential public assets to be delivered with assistance provided by the Australian and Queensland Governments through the jointly funded Commonwealth-state Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA). Over $80M of funding has been approved for this program.

Fisheries Bridge, over the Mulgrave River at Goldsborough, was washed away in the flooding caused by Tropical Cyclone Jasper in December 2023. This event significantly impacted the community, and Council responded swiftly to restore access to residents, initially by implementing a ferry service, followed by a pedestrian bridge and a temporary road bridge.

Construction of the new permanent road bridge is now completed providing reliable, all-weather access.

In recognition of the importance of this project and to foster a sense of shared pride and place, Council invited the community to take part in naming the new bridge, an opportunity that formed part of the ‘Cairns Celebrates 150 years’ celebrations in 2026. The majority of respondents preferred the name of Fisheries Bridge be retained and the Traditional Owners - the Dulabed and Malanbarra Yidinji people – put forward the name Balngga-L, which means "crossing on a log over a creek or river" and reflects their cultural connection to Country.

The new dual name, Fisheries Bridge - Balngga-L, reflects the spirit, history, diversity and resilience and the recovery journey of the Goldsborough community following the destruction of the original bridge.

Should you have any enquiries or require additional information regarding this project, please contact Council’s Customer Service team on 1300 69 22 47 or email feedback@cairns.qld.gov.au.