Two popular heritage-listed landmarks in a Queensland town will be removed unless a group dedicated to preserving history can sway the council recommendation.
Yandina and District Community Association (YADCA) president Marie Reeve said the community wants to see the bridges conserved, despite them currently being unusable.
A community group is battling a Queensland council over its decision to remove popular heritage-listed bridges after they were deemed unsafe.
Sunshine Coast Council’s infrastructure assets team recommended that all timber elements of Ninderry Road Bridge and Yandina Rail Bridge be removed.
Yandina and District Community Association (YADCA) President Marie Reeve said the structures were part of the town’s history, and the move would disappoint residents.
“I think everyone will be very upset about it,” she said. “We have a heritage precinct that makes Yandina quite special; it’s a drawcard. We want to see our heritage stay in our landscape.”
The Yandina Rail Bridge has been standing for more than 130 years.
A Sunshine Coast Council spokeswoman said the bridges could not be repaired, so they would be removed partially or entirely. “It was decided to investigate their removal (or partial removal, in the case of the railway bridge) rather than waiting for their collapse,” she said.
“Council’s infrastructure assets team recommended that all timber elements of the two bridges be removed.”
The Ninderry Road Bridge, also known as the Old Rattly, was built in 1930 and was replaced with a modern bridge to the north of the original in 1995.
The original bridge has been disused for several years due to its deterioration from rot and termites.
The bridge is about 35m long and 4.5m wide, and spans the Maroochy River near Yandina, 230m east of the Bruce Highway on Ninderry Rd.
The Yandina Rail Bridge was constructed in 1891 along the Maroochy River and was replaced by a modern bridge in the 1990s.
Removal of the original bridge was scheduled for 1995, but the councillor at the time negotiated a handover of the structure to the council. They had the idea of using it as a pedestrian bridge.
In 2015, a structural assessment was undertaken, which advised that the northern timber approach structure should be removed due to its poor condition.
Ms Reeve said residents would like elements of the bridge restored to preserve the structures.
“If any part of that bridge can be retained, that would be wonderful,” she said.
“Some people have suggested that a jetty would be a second compromise (to the removal of the Chambers Crossing bridge).
“They’d like access to the river, and they’d like some memory of that bridge in that location.”
She said the group hoped to meet with a project engineer next month.
Sunshine Coast Daily news by Mia Ludwig.
October 23, 2025.
