PHOTO: Works to repair Coonamble roads damaged by the flooding event in March 2021 have received close to $2 million for repairs. Image supplied.
By OLIVER BROWN
COONAMBLE has been successful in obtaining close to $2 million to help bring roads damaged by heavy rain earlier this year back to a satisfactory level.
Following extensive rainfall and localised flooding in March, several roads across the shire, including Back Gular Road, Emby Road, the Gulargambone Road and the Quambone Road, suffered significant damage.
Executive Leader of Infrastructure at Coonamble Shire Council Daniel Noble said the extent of the damage varied between locations.
“It was pretty extensive and widespread – a lot of the areas were proposing medium-level grade works, while some were on the sealed road and needed edge brakes, shoving and little heavy patching,” Mr Noble said.
“As far as I know, they are still trafficable but at some you would definitely have to slow down.”
According to Mr Noble, works which have commenced or are currently in progress include the rehabilitation and minor patching of Carinda Road, minor patching at Quambone Road and a reform/resheet on Goorianawa Road.
Some emergency works have already been completed while other works have been either scheduled, are delayed or waiting on approval.
The works have been expensive and the shire council applied to a state government natural disaster relief fund to try to ease the financial burden.
“Council has been working on the application over the last six months involving a significant effort from staff at council,” Mr Noble said.
“Our initial application was for $1.5 million but as the team went through the six months of development, they revised it to $1.8 million based on that improved information.”
Mr Noble was pleased to announce at the November council meeting that this funding had received approval.
“It’s been a real relief and credit to the team here at council who put that application together – I would also like to acknowledge the state government and the disaster relief fund team for supplying funds that will allow us to repair our network,” he said.
“We have already been doing emergency work to make the roads trafficable, for example at Back Gular Road and Box Ridge Road. We can now go into making them satisfactory.”
Mr Noble said council was aiming to commence the works in January of next year – while juggling other competing priorities.
“We have until June 2023 to complete the work and we hope to have it finished by December 2022,” he said.
Work is also continuing on finalising council’s claim for damages caused by a storm/flood event in 2020.
“There have been changes made to disaster recovery funding arrangements where councils now have to demonstrate previous conditions of the road as part of the application,” Mr Noble said.
“Council was well-equipped to do that for the roads affected by the March 2021, but weren’t as equipped for the 2020 event. We’re still working through it with Transport for NSW but it is taking slightly longer.”
With areas in the north and east of the shire receiving huge dumpings of rain from storms on Sunday 21 November, Council will now be contending with even more dramatic damage.
Large sections of the Pilliga Road, which is often plagued by subsidence, have been submerged by floodwaters and unsealed roads in the worst affected areas will also be in need of substantial repair.