Drainage woes go on
I NOTE the Townsville Bulletin report “Decade-long Magnetic Island drainage issue to get $3m fix after Townsville City Council QRA win” (10/3).
So congratulations to the affected Horseshoe Bay residents on the much needed outcome announced in the leadup to the council elections.
As a Picnic Bay ratepayer for 49 years I remain in expectation of a fix for a drainage issue impacting residents in our bay.
Over the years, stormwater street run-off has meandered along a “drain” through private properties. It originates from Hurst St fronting the golf course and continues via Birt St, Hobbs St, Wansfell St, Barbarra St, and Picnic St properties.
Culverts under the roadways feed water into the “drain”, which has been scoured out over time to varying depths and widths.
The council’s contribution has been to construct a concrete and block-sided flume across the footpath in Hurst St, acknowledged in council orrespondence in 2012 as being “to relieve the build up of water on the roadway in Hurst St”.
The off-side is that it more formally concentrates and directs the water through private properties. Further, the council stated: “Your allotment is located in part in a natural watercourse. Any development which you choose to undertake on the site will need to accommodate this as a feature.”
Hardly a feature for ratepayers in a residential area where council infrastructure as described utilises a “natural watercourse” in lieu of formal underground drainage.
Reassuringly the council acknowledged in 2012 there are drainage issues and that a recent investigation “established the preliminary costs of installing underground drainage is of the order of $3.5m listed on our Future Works Program for funding consideration during council’s future budget deliberations”.
Given that was eight years ago, perhaps at the age of 76 I wouldn’t need to be holding my breath in expectation of a commitment.
GRAHAM BRIGHT,
Currajong.