Cataract Gorge landslide wipes out trees, misses pedestrian bridge near Duck Reach

Five huge shards of rock appear to have split off a rock face and slid 20 about metres down the embankment, wiping out trees and shrubs in their path.

The biggest rock settled just a metre from one of the bridge's main support beams.

The bridge, which is about a five-minute walk from the Duck Reach suspension bridge on the First Basin track, has not been noticeably damaged.

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The rockfall is understood to have occurred last weekend.

"Engineers are assessing potential repairs to trail infrastructure," City of Launceston acting mayor Matthew Garwood said.

"The trail remains open to the public."

Rockfalls are not uncommon in the Gorge.

A smaller but similar rockfall has occurred under a footbridge on the Cataract Gorge walk in recent years, while a boulder brought down fencing on the same stretch in 2018.

"The City of Launceston routinely monitors and inspects trails in the reserve," Cr Garwood said.

"While the council seeks to minimise risks to members of the public, rock falls and other hazards are a reality in a natural reserve such as the Cataract Gorge."

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