Background
Council’s infrastructure was damaged in the rainfall events in December 2010 and January 2011. The Queensland Government declared the Scenic Rim region as a natural disaster area.
The Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Assistance (NDRRA) is a funding program which helps councils restore local infrastructure in the wake of a natural disaster. NDRRA’s primary aim is to return public assets to their pre-disaster standard as quickly as possible, so that people in affected areas can get on with rebuilding their lives. Funding under the NDRRA is provided jointly by the Queensland and Commonwealth governments NDRRA funding is only available upon the Minister activating relief and recovering arrangements, within the Local Government Region.
Council has established an internal Disaster Restoration Taskforce that has established a project plan to accurately capture the costs and undertake works in a coordinated effort.
Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Assistance Project Plan
This Plan is to assist Council to accurately capture costs and undertake works that are eligible for NDRRA funding when responding to natural disasters. The Disaster Restoration Taskforce will oversee the re-establishment of Council infrastructure damaged by the December 2010 and January 2011 rain events in a prioritised and systemic process, to meet community and NDRRA requirements.
The Project Delivery Plan will provide:
• A Framework of Activities
• Issue Management
• Risk Management
• Communication
Initial investigations of Council’s road network have identified a road and bridge damage bill in excess of $30 million as a direct result of the December/January rain event.
Council lodged a preliminary estimate to the Queensland Reconstruction Authority (QRA) and received an early payment of $6.1 million for the emergent works and to get reconstruction works underway. The emergent works phase of the recovery process has been completed and the submission has been forwarded to the QRA for assessment and approval of the works.
Four roads remain partially or entirely closed as a result of the flooding:
• Weber Road, Harrisville
• Saleyard Road, Dugandan
• Duck Creek Road, Kerry
• Kengoon Road, Silverdale (from the Stokes Bridge collapse)
For information about road closures and current road works please click here.
Progress on Road and Drainage Restoration Work Packages
For the purpose of the NDRRA submission the region has been broken up into five Work Package Zones.
After QRA has reviewed applications and provided Council with a response in relation to each work package, the packages will be revised and geotechnical testing, survey and designs will be completed. Tender documents will be prepared for each work package, tenders called, assessed and contracts awarded to allow construction to proceed. It is anticipated that the first contract will commence in December.
Status of Work Packages
Work Package No 1
Validation inspections and review 100% complete
Submitted to QRA
Work Package No 2
Validation inspections 100% complete, review 50% complete
Submitted to QRA
Work Package No 3
Validation inspections 75% complete, review required
Submitted to QRA
Work Package No 4
Validation inspections 100% complete, review required
Submitted to QRA
Work Package No 5
Validation inspections and review 100% complete
Submitted to QRA
Stokes Bridge – Project Update
One of the bridges affected by the rain events of December 2010 and January 2011 is Stokes Bridge on Kengoon Road, Kents Lagoon.
A condition assessment and report on Stokes Bridge has been completed. The report indicates two options. The first option is for repair of the timber bridge, this option will restore the single lane timber bridge to its pre-flood condition, however, it would not meet current engineering standards. The second option is for replacement of the bridge, this option provides for the replacement of the single lane timber bridge with a single lane concrete bridge complying with the current engineering standards.
Based on the report the decision to replace the timber bridge with a modern equivalent concrete bridge has been made. The submission to the Queensland Reconstruction Authority (QRA) has been submitted by Council.
The design of the bridge will commence as soon as QRA has reviewed the submission and advised Council of its decision.
Disaster Restoration Newsletters
