Just over half of the transport flood recovery works have been put to market as the Newman Government continues to fast track the recovery from the 2013 natural disasters.
$486 million of recovery and reconstruction works were either delivered or out to tender in the eight months following ex-Tropical Cyclone Oswald.
We are keeping pressure on the industry by putting this work to market at record speed. We had tenders out within weeks of the devastation occurring and that work has continued.
$486m in works was re-opening economic lifelines since the floodwaters receded. Of that:
- $176m in works had been completed
- $45m in contracts were nearing award
- $57m were in delivery
As soon as flood waters subsided we moved swiftly to re-open key freight and transport routes before talking to the industry about long term repairs.
The initial projects included repairs to the Tallon Bridge in Bundaberg and the Neerkol Creek Bridge on the Capricorn Highway, west of Rockhampton.
Since then work has also been completed on the Peninsula Developmental Road between Laura and Weipa, on the Gladstone-Monto Road and Dawson Highway between Gladstone and Biloela.
Importantly we’ve also been able to maintain our existing program, with more than three-quarters of the 437 smaller projects under $5 million completed on time despite the damage caused last summer.
Key projects currently underway include:
- work on 35 cut/slips on the Burnett Highway over the Mount Morgan Range
- repair of floodways on Mount Sylvia Road in the Lockyer Valley
- repairs on the Pacific Motorway at Tugun
- the new John Muntz Bridge on Tamborine-Oxenford Road at Upper Coomera
Almost $900 million in total transport recovery works will be delivered following the January and February 2013 flood under the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements – a joint federal and state initiative. Under these arrangements, the Australian Government provides 75 per cent of the funding, with 25 per cent from the Queensland Government.