Storm repairs to reach $14m

WORK on damage caused by storms over the wet season still have not been finished with the bill expected to cost $14 million.

In a letter recently published in the Tablelands Advertiser, Speewah resident Warren Pine expressed his anger over the state of a local bridge.

During the recent wet season, in which Tinaroo Dam water levels rose to 98 per cent, three bridges across the shire were lost.

Mareeba Shire Council mayor Tom Gilmore said the bridge at Speewah was just one bridge damaged in one of the rain incidents earlier this year.

He said the bill is subject to National Disaster Relief and Recover Arrangement (NDRRA).

Through the NDRRA, the Australian Government provides financial assistance directly to the states to assist them with costs associated with certain disaster relief and recovery assistance measures.

The NDRRA makes provisions for state governments to activate relief and recovery assistance immediately following a disaster without seeking approval from the Australian Government.

Cr Gilmore said MSC has to contribute $100,000 to the damages and beyond that all the repairs are funded by the state and commonwealth.

He said 75 per cent was funded by the commonwealth and 25 per cent by the state.

“To get that money we have to go through a process,” he said.

“All of our roads and infrastructure are to be inspected and when we know what the damages are we lodge an application through the reconstruction authority Queensland and once they are approved then the repairs can take place.

“The important thing is for people to understand is that they do have safe access across that bridge and secondly it is ... for the NDRRA and we are waiting to go through that process.”

He said council had put in some early requests and they expect answers soon.

“It is a process and we will get through it as quickly as we can,” he said.

“We believe that we may have as much as $14m worth of damage at the moment and it may well be more than that,” he said.

From those two wet events we lost two bridges completely and experienced road damage.

“It is a significant impact which is why we need to have government assistance to make repairs.

“James Creek Causeway, off Wolfram Road, Dimbulah, was lost, and a bridge over Flaggy Creek on Oak Forest Road, Kuranda.

“Then there was other significant and road infrastructure problems.”

WE BELIEVE THAT WE MAY HAVE AS MUCH AS $14M WORTH OF DAMAGE AT THE MOMENT AND IT MAY WELL BE MORE THAN THAT

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