General News
27 February, 2026
Bridge name row
ATTEMPTS to stop the dual naming of a replacement bridge across the Mulgrave River in Goldsborough has been lost.
The near $10 million new Fisheries Bridge, damaged during December 2023 flooding, will now be known as Fisheries Bridge Balngga-L. “Balngga-L” means “crossing on a log over a creek or river”.
But the decision at last Wednesday’s Cairns Regional Council meeting was far from unanimous.
Cr Matthew Tickner (Div. 2) said it was not a new bridge but one replacing the previous and the name should stay as it was.
“The majority of respondents prefer the name Fisheries Bridge to be retained,” he said.
Cr Tickner said the council’s policy of dual naming was “flawed”.
“It does create confusion, frustration in the community, and not once have I ever had a member of the community express support for this dual naming policy. I have, however, had many, many complaints about it,” he said.
Deputy Mayor Cr Brett Olds (Div.9) said dual naming was “a little bit tokenistic”.
He called for one name only.
“A lot of times you try and please everyone and end up not pleasing anyone at all,” Cr Olds said.
“Let’s see what people want it to be named, and if it gets an Indigenous name, great, that’s its name.
“And if it gets a different name, great, but that’s one name.
“Because you give things two names, people just going to call it one thing anyway. And I just think it’s, it just seems tokenistic. It doesn’t seem genuine.”
Cr Anna Middleton (Div. 7) said the report stated the dual name honoured “the spirit, history, diversity and resilience of the community”.
Cr Brett Moller (Div. 1), who represents the area, said he was “very happy to see that this new piece of infrastructure really does highlight the value of the spirit, resilience, history, diversity of that Goldsborough Valley”.
He said the dual name was “council’s shining light in terms of reconciliation, because it encompasses all of community and that’s what I think reconciliation is about”.
Cr Moller said the Indigenous name said it all: “crossing a creek or river”.
Crs Tickner and Olds voted against the dual title.
