Noosa Waters waterfront residents to carry cost for $2m canal fix: council budget

Ratepayers will have to carry the burden for a $1.9 million fix up of the Noosa lock and weir system - more than double the original estimated project cost, it can be revealed.

Residents living on Noosa’s ageing canal estate will be digging deeper in their pockets than expected with Noosa Council implementing special levies on waterfront properties to fix the water system.

The council budget adopted on Wednesday outlines plans to spend $1.9 million to fix the lock and weir system.

This is more than double the original estimated project cost of $837,000.

It includes works to inspect and rectify structural problems with the canal system’s revetment walls budgeted at $1.2m.

Noosa Waters Residents Association acting president Frank Matus said he expected to be paying about $250 every six months based on the council charge determined by the unimproved value of each property.

He said the payments would be ongoing until the council debt was paid off.

“Unfortunately that’s a hell of a lot of money, but at the moment interest rates are low,” Mr Matus said.

These waterfront Noosa Waters residents will be digging deeper into their pockets to pay for improvements and repairs to their ageing canal system.

“Obviously we weren’t happy with it, no one’s happy about having to come across with extra money, but what can you do?

“The lock is 25 years old and really does need refurbishing,” he said.

Mr Matus said the gates would be replaced and the lock’s gearbox mechanism inspected for a “complete makeover”.

“It’s better to do it now than when the thing actually breaks down,” he said.

“If we don’t do it something’s going to happen - it’s looking pretty sad at the moment.

“We’ve got to get ahead of it,” Mr Matus said.

The budget papers said council would inspect and maintain a future works program of the revetment walls based on advice from consulting engineers.

Council, which also owns and controls waterfront lots, would contribute 8.5 per cent of the ongoing costs for the program.