Betterment funds hit the road in the North Burnett

An essential road for graziers and fruit growers between Gayndah and Mundubbera, twice damaged by floods, will be rebuilt to a better standard as part of the Newman Government’s push to make flood-ravaged communities more resilient.

Community Recovery and Resilience Minister David Crisafulli said the North Burnett Regional Council would receive $1,971,765 in ‘betterment’ funding to relocate and improve a two kilometre stretch of the Gayndah-Mundubbera Road near the Burnett River.

“This section of road was completely washed out in January, forcing the council to close the road for three months while emergency work was carried out,” Mr Crisafulli said.

“It had a dramatic impact on locals, restricting farmers’ access to markets and diverting the local school bus route.”

Council intends to relocate the road 11 metres uphill, concrete 1 kilometre of the lowest section of the road and asphalt 900 metres of the highest section. New stormwater drains including concrete lined channels, culverts and scour protection will also be added.

The total cost of the project is $8,857,472.

“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 let local communities put forward a solution that might cost a little more up front but will save us all paying for damage over and over again.”

“North Burnett residents have shown a great sense of community in the way they’ve bounced back from January’s floods.

“It’s vital we do everything we can to help locals continue to recover. This project will allow life to get back to normal as quickly as possible once floodwaters recede.”

The project will be carried out under the $80 million ‘betterment’ program, a Newman Government initiative, funded by the State and Federal Governments to give councils the chance to rebuild less damage-prone public infrastructure.

[ENDS] 19 September 2013

Media Contact: Andrew Longmire 0418 216 627