07 June 2021
Commencing 7 June Council will begin emergent works on Condamine River Road to make safe the road and crossings.
As a result of the declared flood event in March 2021 Condamine River Road has been closed for an extended period of time. Efforts to inspect or repair the road have been hampered by additional rainfall in the region keeping some of the crossings at a level too deep for Council officers to safely traverse.
In late May, however Council officers were finally able to safely access all areas of the gorge at which time they assessed the damage and submitted a report. The road remained closed due to the depth of water in the crossings.
Due to the fact that damages to the road are as a result of the declared flood event, 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. This is to aid in being reimbursed for the damage incurred as a result of the declared event.
Additionally, because the Cambanoora Gorge is an area of outstanding natural beauty another necessary step to commence repair works was to meet with the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) on site to determine the allowable scope of work on the crossings and to gain consensus and approvals to commence works.
Following approvals from DAF on the scope of works, a “Notification of Works” was be submitted to DAF and finally all systems are go and Council officers will commence emergent repair works on Condamine River Road this week.
During the repair period the road will remain closed and will be impassable where Council officers are undertaking works. The public are also reminded that entry to Council’s various worksites along the gorge is prohibited.
A Council spokesperson said “To aid in the crews working efficiently Council is asking the public to give them the ability to do so without disruption. All repair works have been programmed in conjunction with DAF and have been approved in line with the requirements outlined to undertake repairs on an existing bed level crossing.”
“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, works are expected to take up to 6 days.