Permanent flood warning signage to be erected in South Burnett

Tourist and locals across the South Burnett will soon see permanent flood signage pop up in the regions most high risk flood zones.

Flooding at Ellesmere in the South Burnett region. Photo/Jasmin Lea Hobbs

The South Burnett Regional Council has announced a new wave of signage which will soon appear on local roads, aimed at keeping drivers safe during extreme weather events.

New permanent flood warning signage will be rolled out across the region, with the project expected to be completed by June of this year.

The signs will be mounted in “on high risk, known trouble spots” with the goal that when extreme weather events occur council staff and South Burnett residents will have reliable signage ready for deployment when needed.

MORE LOCAL NEWS:

‘River of cruelty’ a critical battleground in fight against growing violence

Region’s favourite and biggest farm to fork festival returns

“The permanent fold down flood signage will assist Council’s roads team during rain events as they will not have to load as many advance warning signs onto the vehicles, therefore allowing them to respond quicker to full road closures,” a council spokesman said.

The signs being installed are hoped to alert drivers to flooding before they arrive at the impact points themselves and are forced to turn around in less than desirable conditions.

Drivers can expect to see “Water Over Road” and “Road Closed Ahead Due to Flooding” signs begin to pop up in the coming weeks.

New flooding signage to be installed across the South Burnett.

The project is jointly funded by the Australian and Queensland governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements, under the council's commitment to flood recovery and resilience.

Councillor Danita Potter welcomed the announcement and said during times of extreme rain it is the emergency services who place themselves at risk to ensure drivers in the region remain safe.

“The signs are one way of making the public aware of water over roads,” she said.

However, she was quick to caution all drivers in the region and said natural disasters can often occur too swiftly for emergency services to respond.

“As we all know flash flooding can occur quickly and without warning,” she said.

“Road closures due to flash flooding may not always have a sign enabled and it may also not appear on Council’s disaster dashboard.

“Remember always drive to the conditions and if it’s flooded, forget it.”