Repairs commenced at the gorge

Water damage at a river crossing on Condamine River Road in Killarney's Cambanoora Gorge following the March rains. Picture: SUPPLIED

Southern Downs Regional Council commenced safety improvement works at Condamine River Road on Monday 7 June, following heavy rainfall in March 2021.

The road has been closed for an extended period of time, with the council claiming its efforts to inspect or repair the road had been “hampered by additional rainfall in the region” and crossings were “too deep for council officers to safely traverse”.

In a statement released on Monday, the council noted that officers were “finally able to safely access” all areas of the Cambanoora Gorge in late May, at which time they assessed the damage and submitted a report.

The council stated that the road remained closed due to the depth of water at the crossings.

“Due to the fact that damages to the road are as a result of the declared flood event, (the) council had to follow a specific process to record evidence of the damage and submit a claim for the cost of repairs before any works could start,” the statement read.

“This is to aid in being reimbursed for the damage incurred as a result of the declared event.”

The council stated that because the gorge is an area of outstanding natural beauty, it had to meet with the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries on site before commencing repair works.

Following approvals from the department, a ‘Notification of Works’ was submitted to the department, with council workers allowed to commence repair works from Monday.

The council noted that the road will remain closed for the duration of the repairs and will be “impassable” where council officers are undertaking works.

“The public are also reminded that entry to (the) council’s various worksites along the gorge is prohibited,” read the statement released on Monday.

A SDRC spokesperson said the council is asking the public not to disrupt crews as they work on repairing the road.

“All repair works have been programmed in conjunction with (the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries) and have been approved in line with the requirements outlined to undertake repairs on an existing bed level crossing,” the spokesperson said.

“Council appreciates the community’s patience as we undertake these initial works to make the road and crossings safe and to re-open public access to Cambanoora Gorge as soon as we can.”

Weather permitting, the council expects repair works will take up to six days to complete.