Betterment funds flow for Gympie

Gympie Regional Council will upgrade five rural roads that have been damaged three times in three years as part of the Newman Government’s push to make flood-ravaged communities more resilient.

Community Recovery and Resilience Minister David Crisafulli announced today the council will receive $1,080,696 in ‘betterment’ funding for improvements to Moorhouse Gully Road at Amamoor, Moy Pocket Road, Doyle Road at Dagun, and Greendale and Glastonbury Creek Roads, Glastonbury.

“In the past, the guidelines for replacing infrastructure have been so rigid and bureaucratic that councils were only allowed to rebuild structures to the same standard in the same location,” Mr Crisafulli said.

“What the betterment project does is enable local communities to put forward a solution that might cost a little more up front but will save us all paying for damage over and over again.”

Moy Pocket Road provides access to a local quarry that supplies the council with road repair materials.

“Residents in the Gympie area are no strangers to flooding and have proven time and time again how resilient they are in the face of natural disasters,” Mr Crisafulli said.

“It’s vital we do everything we can to help the community recover and these projects will allow life get back to normal as quickly as possible once floodwaters recede.”

The works will include concrete upgrades to culverts, drains and floodways to reduce future damage and the impact on families and farmers.

The upgrades will be carried out under the $80 million betterment program, a Newman Government initiative to give councils the chance to rebuild less damage-prone public infrastructure.

It is jointly funded by the State and Federal Governments, but falls well short of what is required.

“It’s my intention to achieve great value for money on this fund and end the madness of replacing like for like”

[ENDS] 12 June 2013

Media Contacts: Monica Rostron 0409 126 332; Andrew Longmire 0418 216 627