A section of the First Basin Track in Launceston’s Cataract Gorge remains closed after a bushfire last week damaged around 200 metres of the popular pathway.
The fire, which broke out last Friday, was extinguished by the Tasmania Fire Service using water-bombing aircraft.
Acting Mayor Alan Harris said the fire has caused damage to bridges, elevated walkways, fences and bluestone retaining walls.
“We’ve also sustained damage to other important infrastructure like fences and retaining walls,” he said.
“It’s too early for us to be definitive, but it’s clear the First Basin Track will be closed to the public for a significant period of time and we’re asking for the community’s patience in the weeks ahead.”
Harris said engineers are still conducting assessments of the damage using drones.
“It is going to take some time for us to be able to get detailed engineering assessments of our infrastructure safely completed and then we will be able to look at what repairs need to be undertaken,” he said.
“We can already see from our aerial survey that a number of timber bridges have been damaged by the fire and each of those is going to need to be assessed, made safe and repaired.”
The council have urged people to obey track closure signage.
“The ground conditions along the track are extremely hazardous,” Harris said.
The section of the track between the Sentinel Lookout and Duck Reach Power Station remains open to the public, with access via the Denison Grove car park or the Corin Street car park adjacent to the Duck Reach Power Station.
