More projects in the Queensland Betterment Fund have been announced with three upgrades to infrastructure in the Burnett as part of the flood recovery.
Member for Burnett Stephen Bennett said the $400,000 would ensure the Blacks and Barretts Roads and the Gentle Annie Bridge would not just be replaced but built to stronger standards to better withstand future events.
The roads, which provide the only access to the Bruce Highway for a small community southeast of Childers, were damaged in 2011, 2012 and again in 2013.
The project will see the rock crossings, which have sustained more than half a million dollars damage over recent years, replaced with concrete floodways.
“Not only will this project reduce future damage and payouts, it will ensure these communities that have been cut off from essential services and only accessible via 4WD can have peace of mind in the future,” Mr Bennett said.
The upgrade to Gentle Annie Bridge will see strengthened protection of the bridge’s foundations and reinforcement of the embankment to make the site more stable.
“This bridge was damaged in 2011 and again this year to the point that it can’t be driven on,” Mr Bennett said.
“Not only has this led to a much longer journey into town for the community, but it has forced the school bus to use a more dangerous intersection.”
“I fought hard to build resilience into these two projects, and took Minister Crisafulli to visit the sites and see for himself how frustrated local residents were.
“With the limited money agreed to by the Federal Government, there will be many worthwhile projects that do not get funded,” Mr Bennett said.
“But what I’ll be fighting for is to use these projects to highlight the fact we can do better.”