By Jess Baker
Works to repair hundreds of Southern Downs roads following heavy rain in February last year are now just 40 per cent complete, with the remaining works required to be completed by next June to be eligible for funding.
In an Infrastructure Services Monthly Report tabled at a general Southern Downs Regional Council meeting last week, it was estimated between $3.7 million and $5 million – and 312 kilometres – of ground works were still to be completed under the 2020 Reconstruction of Essential Public Assets program.
“Delivery of these works are the priority with only 10 months remaining to complete these works,” the progress report read.
An SDRC spokeswoman said the cost to repair road damage caused during last year’s “flood event” was approximately $9 million.
Approximately 30 per cent of the repair works approved under the 2020 restoration program had been completed by March this year, when the Southern Downs region experienced another bout of heavy rain.
Though the rain was welcomed, it exacerbated the existing damage and delayed repairs, and the council had to apply for additional funding.
“Unfortunately, due to the timing of the disaster event funding programs, and in order to ensure the maximum cost reimbursement to (SDRC), it has not always (been) possible for the road network to be graded in a normal sequence,” a council spokeswoman said.
To be eligible for funding, works to repair damage caused by rain in February last year must be completed by June 2022 while works to repair damaged caused by rain in March this year must be completed by June 2023.
Council officers have estimated the cost of repairing road damage resulting from this year’s heavy rains “could be as much as $8 million”.
In a report tabled at last week’s ordinary meeting, it was estimated a total of 610 roads had been damaged due to flooding.
“Assessing all these roads is a significant workload and we are working to make more people available to undertake this task,” the report read.
The report stated three labour crews worked to repair roads in Allora, Leyburn, Pikedale, Thanes Creek and Warwick throughout July. An additional two SDRC crews would work in Maryvale and Emu Vale throughout August.
“Other crews will be working in Thanes Creek, Allora, Pikedale and Warwick moving through Connolly Dam into Killarney,” the report read.
It was estimated the total remaining works, for damage caused both last year and this year, would cost between $8 and $12 million.
An SDRC spokeswoman said approximately $1.1 million of emergency works, immediate reconstruction works, and restoration of essential public asset works had been completed following this year’s heavy rain event.
When asked if the council was concerned that another flooding event at the beginning of 2022 could delay both repair projects even further, the spokeswoman said it would “always mobilise and respond to flood effects as they arise”.
“With the region’s catchments saturated, the possibility of another flood event is very real,” she said.
“If the region endures another similar flood event in the foreseeable (future), the effects on the current program will need to be evaluated.”
The spokeswoman thanked the community for its cooperation while the council worked with the relevant authority to rebuild Southern Downs’ damaged roads.
“(The) council is thankful for the patient and respectful way in which the community cooperated with changed road conditions and rules whilst emergency safety road works were in progress immediately following the floods,” she said.
“The delivery of improvements to the road network will take time (to) complete and we ask the community for their patience while this work is carried out.”
All eligible restoration works are jointly funded under the commonwealth and state governments’ Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements and are administered by the Queensland Reconstruction Authority.
