Townsville weather: No reprieve from rain as temporary bridge build begins
Just eight days into the month and 100-year-old rainfall records have already been smashed as emergency crews prepare for more wet weather. See how this may affect the build of a vital bridge into Ingham.
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The premier has announced a temporary bridge should be up and running by next week connecting Ingham and Townsville at Ollera Creek as communities prepare for more wet weather.
On Saturday Premier David Crisafulli announced they would be moving the Australian Defence Force combat bridge from the Ollera Creek site on Saturday night and get to work on installing a temporary bridge over the next few days.
“After two nights of work, where they have established the road base, we’re hopeful that from 6pm tonight the full-time process will mean they will go at it on Saturday, Sunday and Monday and they will even put a bitumen seal on it, subject to weather,” he said.
“We are hopeful that in the first half of next week, Tuesday, would be amazing, that the road will be able to open again to traffic.”
>> Bruce Highway cut between Ayr and Home Hill ahead of biggest flood in three decades
The Premier said this timeline was subject to weather and the challenges of the site.
Only just over a week into February and already monthly rainfall records have been beaten in the region.
Queensland Nickel’s gauge out in Yabulu recorded just over 1168mm of rain, the highest recorded rainfall for February in 105 years, with the previous record being 1084mm from 2009.
Bambaroo set a new 102-year record with 1328mm of rain while Rollingstone set a new 51-year record with 1549mm.
Daniel Hayes, a meteorologist at the Bureau of Meteorology, said a low pressure system in the cape would keep the wet weather around until mid next week.
“The expectation is we’ll see more showers and storms and heavier rainfall develop through the afternoon and into the evening on (Saturday) and that will bring the return of some of those heavier falls,” he said.
“That will likely continue through until the early hours of (Sunday) morning and then probably push offshore again through Sunday and have a quieter day again through that period.
“We may not at this point be seeing an easing until perhaps more towards the middle of the week.
“Still some uncertainty in that modelling, but it’s looking possible that we’ll see the rainfall continue into the early part of the week.”
Mr Hayes said while the rain wouldn’t reach those high totals the region received at the beginning of the month, flooding will still be prominent due to the swelling catchments.
Mr Crisafulli outlined their government’s long-term plan for the Ollera Creek crossing, highlighting the importance of making it “long term, longer, stronger, higher, better”.
“You’ve got hundreds of thousands of people who live and die by this road, and it’s not up to standard,” he said.
“We will be going forward to the Commonwealth with a number of betterment proposals in some of those key low-lying parts of the Bruce.
“No one is suggesting you’re going to floodproof the Bruce Highway but you can remove those pinch points.
“You can remove the vulnerable places like Ollera Creek and that will make a more resilient North Queensland.”
In the event of more localised flooding, emergency service and SES crews have been stationed in Mackay, Ingham and Reid Park.
“They are going nowhere, they are here to help these communities lift themselves up,” Mr Crisafulli said.
“We’ve made good progress on power, yesterday over 2000 homes were reconnected.
The premier said the majority of the more than 4,500 homes still without power should be back online by Sunday.
“There is generation that remains in place in the event that localised generation is needed,” he said.
“We’ve resupplied a small amount of diesel and unleaded fuel while the roads have been connected and that will help Ingham pick up the pieces as well.”
Other communities which remain cut off should be reached today or tomorrow, the Premier said.
“Paluma, we’re hopeful that we can get access to Paluma by the back way through Charters Towers today which would be a godsend and it’s looking positive for the lower Herbert area as well,” he said.
“That’s why we’re moving heaven and earth at the moment why this connection is so important because we don’t know what mother nature might throw in the next 24 hours so it’s important that we do.”
Chief Executive Officer of the Queensland Reconstruction Authority Jake Ellwood said their priorities now are safety, resupply and community access.
“Our focus now is these things called emergent works or emergency works to make sure that access is maintained because when we have access it means that we can supply and support communities,” he said.
“The next hard bit is the clean-up.
“We understand the impacts and those impacts are not just physical, they’re economic and they’re also mental.
“We see quite often people with mental health issues in the wake of these terrible disasters and we will make sure that there is support that is to be provided.
“We’re going to work very closely with the Commonwealth Government to make sure
that they understand the needs of the communities and we will faithfully
represent everything that we see and everything that we understand so that we
can get you the support that you require.”
Stay up to date with the latest flood warnings here.
Community Hubs in Operation
QCWA at Tully
Mission Beach progress Hall
The Cardwell Community Hall
Forrest Beach Takeaway shop
Mercer Lane in Ingham
The Horseshoe Bay Community Centre
Townsville Stadium in Murray
Community hubs will be set up in Ayr and Giru
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