General News
4 February, 2026
River front makeover
A NEW project to create the Mareeba Barron River Fire Trail will provide a park-like walking esplanade stretching from Herberton Street to Lloyd Street.
Mareeba Shire Council approved the proposal at its first meeting for 2026, during its review and subsequent approval of the Infrastructure Services Capital Works monthly report for December 2025.
The new project has been developed with $100,000 in funding from the Federal and State governments, meaning ratepayers will not have to fork out for the project.
A council officer told the meeting the work, which was expected to begin as early as April/May and carried out by a contractor, would reinstate and improve the trail with hard-packed gravel instead of concrete.
This would make it easier to upgrade following any flooding event.
As a Fire Trail, it would also provide access to council and other agencies during a fire emergency.
The project has already sparked the imagination of community members, with one local identity, together with a group of interested citizens, reaching out to council to indicate they “want to work with us to actually build on (the project) and to actually expand it”.
Speaking after the meeting Mayor Angela Toppin said the project from the bridge to the hospital could become “quite beautiful” and a great public space.
A meeting was to be held this week with the interested party, and possible benefactor, at which more details would emerge on the scope of any regeneration and revegetation of the area needed to transform the popular section of the river into a more “park-like” and open space.
This project is supported by the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements, aimed at Queensland communities in their recovery from Tropical Cyclone Jasper, and floods in December 2023.
