Items of Interest – Ordinary Council Meeting, 21 February 2024
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The following items were addressed at the Ordinary Meeting of Mareeba Shire Council on Wednesday, 21 February 2024.
ROAD NETWORK REPAIRS FOLLOWING TC JASPER AND FLOODING EVENT
MAREEBA SHIRE COUNCILLOR CANDIDATES
ROAD NETWORK REPAIRS FOLLOWING TC JASPER AND FLOODING EVENT
At today’s Ordinary Council Meeting, an update about Mareeba Shire’s road network was presented to Council.
The Queensland Reconstruction Authority has advised that Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements have been activated for Tropical Cyclone Jasper and the associated rainfall and flooding event.
The extreme weather event has impacted a large area of Mareeba Shire, with the northern and eastern parts particularly affected.
At the time the report was presented, a total of 190 roads have sustained damage, which is approximately half of all roads in the Shire. It is important to note that some of the western roads are still inaccessible to undertake damage assessments.
“Council’s road crew of 34 staff members have been working tirelessly with contractors to inspect damage, restore basic practical access and make emergency repairs to the road network across the Shire,” Mayor Angela Toppin explained. “We understand the frustration of having to deal with potholes, but our crews are concentrating on major damage at the moment and it may be a while before they can get to fixing some of the minor damage and begin their regular maintenance program.”
One priority is restoring access for residents on Mt Lewis Road in Julatten, after Bushy Creek Bridge was washed away. Council is planning to install a temporary pedestrian bridge soon and will be looking to build a new bridge to restore vehicle access.
“We would like to thank the owners of the privately owned farmland who provided access to install a temporary track for residents to gain access to Mt Lewis Road from Chapmans Road,” said Mayor Toppin.
Crews also installed a temporary bridge at the Cobra Creek crossing on Emerald End Road to raise the crossing height by 1.5m. Council has consultants working on the long-term full replacement.
“Staff have been working in challenging conditions to undertake basic repairs to the road network. We encourage all residents to please report damage of roads or infrastructure to Council as soon as possible.”
“We are preparing assessment reports for the Queensland Reconstruction Authority to access State and Federal funding to undertake full restoration works to save ratepayers having to foot the bill for millions of dollars. While we will work as quickly as possible, the scale of the damage is such that it is likely we will feel the impact of this event for at least the next 18 to 24 months.”
“We would like to thank the community for their patience as repairs continue across the Shire,” concluded Mayor Toppin.
Visit Council’s website for a gallery of images that shows the significant impact of this weather event.
MAREEBA SHIRE COUNCILLOR CANDIDATES
With the Queensland Local Government election fast approaching on Saturday, 16 March 2024, Mareeba Shire Council has published a page to provide the community some information about the Councillor Candidates. Mareeba Shire Councillor Candidates 2024 – Mareeba Shire Council (msc.qld.gov.au)
“Council has listened to community feedback and has provided a place for all 11 Candidates to introduce themselves to Mareeba Shire voters,” explained a spokesperson for Mareeba Shire Council.
“Each Candidate provided their own profile, photo and contact details. In the spirit of fairness, the order in which the Candidates are displayed on the page will be updated each workday based on a randomly generated list”.
If there are any residents who are unable to access the online page, please contact Council for assistance.
Mareeba Shire residents will be voting to fill the six positions for the Councillors.
As Angela Toppin was the only nominee for the position of Mayor, no election for this position will be held and she will officially be declared as the Mayor after the election on 16 March.
Early voting will be between Monday, 4 March and Friday, 15 March 2024.
For more information about how and where to vote, residents are encouraged to contact the Queensland Electoral Commission (1300 881 665 or [email protected]) or visit their website. 2024 local government elections | Electoral Commission of Queensland (ecq.qld.gov.au)
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