Flood emergency: First glimpse at Gympie, Fraser Coast repair bill

The final damage bill from the deadly floods that left two men dead and a teenage girl missing, and which destroyed countless roads, crossings and bridges across Gympie and the Fraser Coast is expected to be well over $100 million.

The damage bill from the January 2022 flood emergency that left two people dead across the Gympie region and Fraser Coast is expected to reach will into six figures, with Gympie Regional Council alone looking at a bill of at least $50m in repair work.

Mayor Glen Hartwig said it was still “early days” in the council’s assessment of the damage but it had been extensive.*

“The early estimate is around $50m, but that could increase,” Mr Hartwig said.

Mr Hartwig’s assessment was the first glimpse into the cost of fixing the widespread damage of flash flooding on January 7-8, when falls exceeding 900mm were reported across the region, causing local waterways to rise to never-before-seen heights in some communities.

Worst hit were communities north and west of Gympie, including Curra, Glenwood, Tiaro, Kilkivan, Goomeri, Woolooga and Lower Wonga. Glenwood and Tiaro are part of Fraser Coast Council.

The flood waters caused extensive damage to roads across the region. Pics: Gympie Regional Council

Roads, including parts of the Bruce and Burnett Highways, were shredded by the flood waters and the Mary River broke its banks, causing minor flooding in Gympie and major flooding in Maryborough, including an inundation of the CBD and about 80 homes.

The State Government is expected to face a similarly large bill but as yet has been unable to offer an estimate on the coast of the damages.

A Transport and Main Roads Department spokesman said “damage assessments are still underway”.

“It may take a few weeks for our teams to get around the whole network and complete their assessments for further reconstruction works, but the roads have been repaired to usable standard in the meantime,” he said.

State recovery co-ordinator Paul de Jersey said the extent of the devastation, particularly in Maryborough and surrounds, was “distressing”.

A spokesman for the Department of Transport and Main Roads and recovery co-ordinator Paul de Jersey said it was too early for them to give a figure on what the damage bill will be for the state government’s infrastructure. . Pics: Gympie Regional Council

“I have seen bridges, floodways, causeways and highways extensively damaged and it will take considerable effort and investment to repair the damage,” Mr de Jersey said.

“As a Queenslander, I know we are all too familiar with natural disasters and it was encouraging to meet business owners and community members in the Gympie, Fraser Coast and the North Burnett regions that have pulled together to support each other in these early stages of recovery.

“The sheer grit and determination shown by these Aussie battlers is truly remarkable.

“This will be a long road to recovery for many sectors of the Wide Bay-Burnett region, and it is imperative we support these individuals, families, primary producers and small businesses in crisis and give them the assistance they need to support their recovery.”