Gilbert River Bridge failure again highlights urgent infrastructure gap
Mayor Barry Hughes and Mayor John Wharton AM in Richmond earlier this month discussing flood recovery and infrastructure priorities. (NWQROC)
Image credit: Robbie and Kath Lethbridge
Local leaders from across North West and Far North Queensland say repeated flooding and ongoing safety risks at a key, cross-regional link – the Gilbert River Bridge - highlight the urgent need for a firm funding commitment from state and federal governments to deliver a fit-for-purpose replacement crossing.
Image credit: Robbie and Kath Lethbridge
The ageing bridge is a critical connection between the North West Gulf and Far North Queensland, yet it remains a low-level, single lane structure that routinely cuts off communities and places road users at risk.
Etheridge Shire Mayor Barry Hughes, Chair of the Far North Queensland Regional Roads and Transport Group, said the regions had long advocated for upgrades and its ongoing vulnerability was unacceptable.
“This is a narrow, single lane bridge with limited visibility on the approaches, meaning drivers have very little time to react before entering the crossing,” Mayor Hughes said.
“When you’ve got 53.5-metre road trains, freight vehicles and a growing number of caravanners converging on that bridge, particularly in wet or low-visibility conditions, it becomes an extremely dangerous situation.”
“And as we’ve seen once again this month, when the bridge goes under it completely closes the Gulf Developmental Road. This can go on for weeks at a time isolating multiple communities and with no viable alternative routes, this forces essential goods to be flown in at far greater cost to government and residents.”
“We’re a region that delivers billions of dollars to the national economy. We should not be relying on flood-prone, inadequate infrastructure that puts safety, supply and growth at risk.
“This is not a one-off event - it’s a known, recurring problem that requires a long-term solution,” he said.
The regions received a glimmer of hope with a 2024 election commitment from the prospective Crisafulli Government for $500,000 towards a business case. The promised business case is not expected to be completed until the end of 2026, with no further commitments from either the Queensland or Australian governments.
Richmond Shire Mayor John Wharton AM, Chair of the North West Queensland Regional Roads and Transport Group, said the level of investment to date did not reflect the scale or importance of the project.
“For infrastructure of this significance, half a million dollars for a business case, with no construction funding committed, is a very small step. Local leaders are rightly questioning whether governments are truly serious about fixing this problem.”
Mayor Wharton said changing traffic patterns and increased freight use have also made the shortcomings of the bridge even more stark.
“Commercial vehicles now make up around 40 per cent of all traffic on this crossing, almost double what it was just seven years ago, and we’ve also seen a significant increase in vehicles towing caravans,” he said.
“This bridge was never designed for the volume or type of traffic it now carries, and it’s holding back our nation-driving industries including agriculture and critical minerals, as well as tourism and regional growth.”
Far North Queensland Regional Organisation of Councils (FNQROC) and North West Queensland Regional Organisation of Councils (NWQROC) are united in calling on the Queensland Government and Australian Government, to not delay a clear funding commitment for a safer, two-lane, flood-resilient bridge that meets the needs of communities, industry and the national freight task.
FNQROC will lead a mayoral delegation to Brisbane in April, where the Gilbert River Bridge will be raised as a priority issue in deputations with the Queensland Government.
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Media contact: Aleisha Domrow - 0423 116 865
