Cloncurry Sedan Dip Road better than ever

Sedan Dip Road in Cloncurry has been rebuilt better than ever after it was damaged by the monsoon and floods in February 2019.

Minister for Emergency Management David Littleproud said the roadworks received $9.4 million in Betterment funding under the joint Australian and Queensland Governments’ Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.

“These roadworks will make our communities safer next time a disaster hits,” Minister Littleproud said.

“Staying connected helps make sure communities can access vital services in a crisis.

“Sedan Dip Road in particular provides essential access for livestock from major pastoral operations across two shires.

“Flooding rain from the Monsoon Trough in 2019 resulted in a loss of gravel, major washouts and covered multiple sections of the road in large amounts of silt and debris, cutting the road off for an extended period of time.

“Cloncurry Shire Council has used the betterment funding to stabilise and seal the road, improving its resilience in wet conditions and shortening the duration of road closures following a weather event.”

Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning Steven Miles said improvement projects, such as the upgrades to Sedan Dip Road, provided big benefits to the community.

“Communities across Queensland are feeling the economic impacts of COVID-19. Projects like this provide a valuable injection of funds into the local economy and support regional jobs” Mr Miles said.

“Not only are we repairing infrastructure, we’re building it to a higher standard than before it was damaged making the road more resilient. This means down the track Council won’t need to constantly repair the same road after every major weather event.

“This investment has allowed the Cloncurry Shire Council to increase the longevity of the road, giving primary producers the ability to move to and from their properties as needed.

“The Queensland Government is proud to support Queensland communities through their recovery, ensuring our essential infrastructure and assets are as resilient as Queenslanders themselves.”

Cloncurry Shire Council Mayor Gregory Campbell said the outcome achieved for the community and the broader beef industry was tremendous.

“The Betterment Funding created construction jobs as well as improving the safety and efficiency of The Sedan Dip Road many times over,” Mayor Campbell said.

“Roads and communication are two critical components in a successful business and become even more so in a disaster.

“I commend the QRA on their professional conduct in handling our disaster recovery and thank the Federal and State governments for their ongoing support of the region.

“Minister Littleproud was the first Minister on the ground in 2019 and he has championed our needs since.”

The Sedan Dip Road Betterment works were delivered through the $242 million extraordinary assistance package funded by the Australian and Queensland Governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).

Media contact: 

Amy Hunter – 0423 651 484