Council's flood recovery funding debacle

COUNCIL is working through a list of roads that needed repair after the March 2017 flood.

Concerned residents at Oakey Creek Road which is one of the many roads that need to be repaired in the region. Picture: Marc Stapelberg

UPDATE, 5.04pm: LISMORE City Council has provided a list of roads they have repaired since they were damaged in the March 2017 flood.

Large projects including slips and large culvert works:

• Terania Creek Road Chainage 3.08km
• Terania Creek Road Chainage 7.9km
• Terania Creek Road Chainage 8.06km
• Koonorigan Road Chainage 8.05km
• Koonorigan Road Chainage 8.23km
• Keerong Road
• Mountain Top Road
• Boatharbour Road
• Tuntable Creek Road

Defects repaired on the remaining road network:

• Sealed road network - 233 defects completed
• Un-sealed road network - 762 defects completed

The sealed and un-sealed defects completed above would include minor civil works such as table drain and culvert works, heavy patch repairs and gravel re-sheeting.

Large projects still to be completed:

• Beardow Street - currently underway due for completion mid-August
• Oakey Creek Road - commencing July 1, due for completion by mid-October
• Wilson River Cycleway - pre-construction activities underway, due to be completed by June, 2020.

Original story: WHILE Lismore City Council has revealed a timeline to fix flood-damaged Oakey Creek Rd, questions of how much restoration funding was secured how much has been spent remains unanswered.

Oakey Creek Rd is "falling apart," still unfixed more than two years after the devastating 2017 flood and the issue is heavily impacting local residents.

So much so, a community meeting calling for action and answers will be held tonight.

The main road into Georgica was barricaded and closed off to all traffic after the weather event washed away half the road and caused a dangerous landslip.

Letters were sent to residents saying contractors would start work on the road in April, but May came around and two weeks ago the road was closed and barricaded off again.

In late 2017 the council had applied for more than $30 million in natural disaster funding for urgent repairs such as landslips and culvert washouts as well as widespread but more minor repairs such as heavy pothole patching and gravel maintenance right across the Lismore LGA.

Under the Commonwealth-State National Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements, the council must not use its own staff to undertake these flood repairs, but must issue tenders and employ contractors.

The council then revealed works on eight priority roads that still have major landslips or culvert collapses, including Oakey Creek Rd was expected to be completed by the end of 2018.

The eight priority roads were:

• Boatharbour Road
• Keerrong Road (x2)
• Koonorigan Road (x2)
• Oakey Creek Road
• Caniaba Road
• Terania Creek Road (x4)
• Mountain Top Road (x2)
• Tuntable Creek Road

But when asked how much grant funding was originally secured and allocated to fixing flood damaged roads in the LGA, a council representatives could not provide a figure.

"The general manager cannot provide a specific figure in regard to how much grant funding was originally allocated to fixing flood damaged roads in the LGA," a council spokesman said.

"There is no specific figure at this time."

"Funds are still available to complete flood restoration works, including Oakey Creek Road for the sum of $2.2M."

When asked what flood restoration works had been completed, what's outstanding and timelines on completions, the council had no immediate answer.

"We could eventually provide a list, but it would take time," he said.

The spokesman said Oakey Creek Road was included as being eligible in the original funding claim, however the funding was not approved until a detailed geotechnical investigation and engineering design was completed and costed.

"It has not been fixed due to the complex nature of the site, it has required council to engage a specialist Geotechnical Services, who have been in high demand due to the results of Ex-Tropical Cyclone Debbie," he said.

"It is proposed to commence works on the restoration of Oakey Creek Road in the next four weeks, weather permitting. The duration of works will be four months."

Fed up and disappointed community members will hold a meeting tonight from 7pm at Jiggi community Hall and have invited Lismore City Mayor Issac Smith to attend.

The spokesman said Manager Civic Services, Darren Patch and works engineer Brain Davis will represent council at tonight's community meeting regarding Oakey Creek Rd.