Cataract Walk repair works underway

Published on 24 November 2023

The City of Launceston will begin substantive repair works to Cataract Walk this week, with the aim of re-opening the walkway to the public early next year.

More than 1500 tonnes of bluestone and wall material will be removed from above the walkway, following the collapse of a privately-owned retaining wall earlier this year.

Given the difficult terrain, the stone and earth will be removed from the site using a custom fabricated rail trolley system, similar to those operating in the mining sector.

The Council also plans to take advantage of the walkway's closure to undertake other remediation works on a 60m section of track at the walkway's western end.

City of Launceston Mayor Matthew Garwood said the Council was pleased to see substantive works getting underway.

"The Cataract Gorge is a largely natural environment, which is one of the reasons it is valued so highly by the Launceston community," Mayor Garwood said.

"We are putting plans in place to take advantage of the closure of the walkway to undertake other repair works on the Cataract Walk.

"The dolerite rocks and cliffs which form the Cataract Gorge date back to the Jurassic age, and the landscape of the Gorge continues to constantly change and shift.

"This means there are opportunities to conduct other repairs on the Cataract Walk which has been impacted by earth movement over the decades.

"Given its popularity with recreational users and its importance to the city's visitor economy, the City of Launceston has taken a lead role in resolving this complex infrastructure issue as a priority, with the goal of safely enable the re-opening of the Cataract Walk to the public early next year.

"We continue to ask for the community's patience as we get these important infrastructure works underway."