Campaign begins to seal Beelbi Creek Road

It’s one of the region’s most dangerous roads, but a year after it claimed the life of a Fraser Coast mother, it remains unsealed. Now there is a push to finally seal the road as a $238 million factory is set to increase traffic on it every day.

Beelbi Creek Road is currently unsealed and two people have lost their lives on the road in recent years.

A deadly Fraser Coast thoroughfare connecting Hervey Bay to the Burrum district is set to become much busier after a train factory was approved at Torbanlea.

Beelbi Creek Road remains unsealed, despite the deaths of two people on the stretch in recent years.

The road connects Burrum Head Road to the Pialba-Burrum Heads Road, and is a shortcut regularly used by people in the region.

Maryborough MP Bruce Saunders said the $238 million train factory recently approved for Torbanlea will significantly increase the amount of traffic on the road in coming years.

He urged Fraser Coast council to apply for funding and make sealing the dangerous road a priority.

“People already use it a lot and school buses use it,” Mr Saunders said.

“The council is advising me all the time about what state roads need work – it’s time for them to step up and look after their own roads.”

Mr Saunders said Beelbi Creek Road was one of the worst roads on the Fraser Coast.

In October last year, Vicky McGrath lost her life in a crash on the road.

Beelbi Creek Road is unsealed and two people have lost their lives on the road in recent years.

Just a few hundred metres from where Vicky McGrath died is a cross that is another sobering reminder of just how dangerous the road can be.

Michael Pickering was seriously injured in a crash on Beelbi Creek Road on November 29, 2015, when the ute he was driving left the road and crashed into a tree.

He died after spending two months in hospital.

After Ms McGrath’s death, there were numerous calls for the road to be upgraded, but so far, nothing has changed.

Mr Saunders called on the council to urgently complete the task of sealing the road.

“It’s got to be done, particularly now we’ll have people using the road to get to the train factory every day,” he said.

Beelbi Creek Road is about 7.5km long, of which about 5.5km is unsealed, and its primary purpose is to provide access to about 13 residents in the area.

The road has low traffic volumes compared to many other gravel roads, but the council is aware many motorists use it as a short cut rather than use the longer bitumen routes nearby.

Fraser Coast council CEO Ken Diehm said the council received numerous requests for roads within the region to be upgraded to a bitumen seal standard.

“The upgrade of Beelbi Creek Rd has been considered as part of the budget process,” he said,

“The project did not rank high enough to make into the 10-Year capital works program this financial year.

“It is estimated that the cost to seal the road would be between $5 million and $6 million.

“However, the project remains listed in the forward works list for further consideration in future budgets.”

Originally published as Campaign begins to seal Beelbi Creek Road