ROAD CLOSURES ‘ OVER THE TOP’
FRUSTRATED North Queenslanders have hit out at overzealous closures of flood- affected roads.
Farmers, truckies and the Hinchinbrook Shire Mayor have all questioned why the Bruce Highway near Ingham was closed to trucks for such a lengthy period of time. Cr Ramon Jayo said there had to be a better strategy than “if it’s flooded, forget it”.
THE Department of Main Roads and Transport has come under fire for its prolonged closures of the Bruce Highway near Ingham during the March downpours.
Ingham- based Hinchinbrook Shire Mayor Ramon Jayo said he had asked the Department of Main Roads and Transport ( TMR) to explain the decision- making processes behind the closing of the roads.
“One of the first things I want to know is how they gather intelligence concerning the closing and opening of roads. If your intelligence, the information you have gathered is wrong, your decisions will be wrong,” he said.
Tully banana farmer Cameron Flegler said he was hit with huge cost increases when he was forced to send bananas across the Atherton Tableland to Brisbane via Mt Garnet, Greenvale and Charters Towers. He said semi- trailers were not allowed to pass through 300mm ( just under one foot) of quiet water.
“It doesn’t make sense. Fair enough stock- standard cars might not go through, but big trucks can get through this water,” he said.
Cr Jayo said local residents living between road blocks during the flood were telling him the water was 100mm deep and at the same time TMR was telling him it was 300mm deep.
“How does TMR get its intelligence. You’ve got the residents who are there beside the road saying one thing and the department is saying another,” he said.
Queensland Trucking Association chief executive officer Gary Mahon said TMR had to be made aware of the financial costs imposed on businesses and communities when roads were closed.
“We don’t know why they close roads when the water is shallow and slow moving. We don’t know if it is a safety issue or if they are concerned about the road’s substrata,” he said.
Mr Mahon said the department needed to be more transparent when it came to the reasons behind road closures.
MP Shane Knuth, whose seat of Hill takes in Tully, said it made no sense for roads to be closed when the water was barely moving and was only 100mm deep.
A TMR spokesman said the department understood the importance of keeping freight moving, but would not compromise safety.
“Before reopening a road closed due to flooding, we must complete thorough inspections to ensure safety and prevent further damage,” he said.
He said the department worked with local councils and police to escort convoys of trucks through road closures.
He said this allowed supplies to reach isolated communities without compromising safety or integrity of roads.