Home owners settling to make way for Mackay Ring Road

Property owners forced to sell up to make way for the Mackay Ring Road have settled with Transport and Main Roads, while others are clinging on.

The Clarkson family's home was moved just down the road from their former land at Stotts Road, Te Kowai, which was resumed by TMR. Picture: Trudy Clarkson

WHILE some property owners forced to sell up to make way for the Mackay Ring Road have settled with Transport and Main Roads, others are clinging on.

Hope of getting more than market value to cover the years of inconvenience and emotional turmoil have fallen by the wayside for many. Trudy Clarkson and her family begrudgingly sold their Stotts Rd, Te Kowai property to TMR for market value after about eight years of stressful back-and-forth communication.

Thankfully, the family home of five generations was not part of the deal.

They were able to load up their home and take it down the road to be situated on a different block of land.

It's a small consolation for a family that has been forced off their treasured 1196sqm patch.

The Clarkson family's home was moved just down the road from their the land it once sat on. Picture: Trudy Clarkson

Now, Mrs Clarkson and her family are waiting on the home to be re-stumped before they can move back in.

"We had a mediation where we ended up settling with them (TMR). After eight years of stress," Mrs Clarkson said.

"We settled on a figure that was low. End of the day though, the solicitor said it was pretty much that or nothing."

Mrs Clarkson said TMR did not come to the party even when it came to shifting the home down the road.

The Clarkson family, including Brooke, Trudy, Grace and Stephen (not pictured), were forced to relocated their beloved home to make way for the Mackay Ring Road. Picture: Luke Mortimer

On the bright side, Mrs Clarkson said Mayor Greg Williamson and Mackay Regional Council went above and beyond to advocate for her family and accommodate the move. Another home owner, caught up in the ring road resumption debacle, is Ricky Barnes.

He finally sold his 3800sqm Bruce Hwy, Glenella, property to the state for market value after about three years.

While it's not quite the result Mr Barnes was hoping for, he's glad it's all over.

"We're just sitting back and watching it all come together now," he said.

"My wife won't go and look at the place. She come to tears when she looked at it after the settlement," he said.

Mr Barnes' son had lived in the home, but has found a place to live.

Ricky Barnes and Clive Desbois, whose properties have been affected by ring road resumptions. Picture: Luke Mortimer

Clive Desbois, who owns 400,000sqm across the road from Mr Barnes' former property, has not settled.

He said "nothing has changed" regarding his property's partial resumption and he and his lawyer were working towards arbitration.

"Buy don't resume is what I keep saying," he said.

"At least that way we could negotiate a price."

Mr Desbois said ongoing discussions with TMR had been moving slowly, as he had expected.

A TMR spokesperson confirmed in a statement "a number" of the 26 property owners (of 41 parcels of land) affected had now settled.

"We appreciate that this can be an emotional time for affected property owners. Whilst we are committed to reaching fair compensation agreements for individual property owners, we also have to be fair to the taxpayers of Queensland."

LUKE MORTIMER

Originally published as Home owners settling to make way for Mackay Ring Road