Gympie council awards $16 million tender for flood damaged road fixes

An expected $8m price tag to fix almost 200 flood-damaged roads in Gympie’s west has blown out an eye-watering amount, with one councillor describing it ‘hard to accept’. See the full list of roads.

An expected $8 million price tag to fix almost 200 hundred flood-damaged roads in Gympie’s west has risen by an eye-watering amount, with one councillor calling the hike ‘hard to accept’.

Another $16m is being sunk into the region’s roads as flood repair work continues, but at a “hard to accept” price which has caused at least one councillor’s eyes to water.

Gympie Regional Council awarded the tender to fix more than 180 flood wrecked roads in the region’s west to Durack Civil as part of its latest package of repair work at Wednesday’s general meeting.

Durack ‘s tender was more than double the $8m originally estimated by the council, the report tabled before councillors says.

Civlec - trading as GRC Civil - was the only other tenderer at a price of $25m.

The bill will be covered by the federal and state governments, which are jointly funding it through the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.

The total repair cost of the region’s roads is expected to more than $100m.

The council had previously awarded a $9.9m contract for road repairs in March, and a $35.4mpackage in May.

Infrastructure services director Graham O’Byrne said the price hike was not unique to the region.

Councillor Bob Fredman said the rates being charged by contractors to fix the roads was “very hard to accept” but the council had “no option”, and at least the cost would be carried by the federal government.

“Those price escalations are being seen right throughout the state and the country,” Mr O’Byrne said.

Councillor Bob Fredman said the rates were “very hard to accept”.

“We’re talking millions and millions and millions and millions of dollars more than what we determined … (under) normal rates,” Mr Fredman said.

However “we’ve got no option”, he said.

Mayor Glen Hartwig jokingly suggested the council itself may want consider charging similar prices when outsourcing its staff and services to the state transport department.

“It’s good to know we’re under the commercial rate at the moment,” Mr Hartwig said.

“Maybe when it comes to our TMR billing we need to put our prices in line with what the contractors seem to charge at the moment.”

Full list of roads being fixed

A Flat Rd

Ahern Rd

Anderson Rd

Archer Rd

Athertons Rd

Barambah Homestead Rd

Barrett Rd

Batts Rd

Baxter Rd

Beer Rd

Berner Rd

Blacksnake Rd

Bligh St

Bona Vista Rd

Booinbah Rd

Boonimba Rd

Boonaravale Rd

Boowoogum Rd

Boundary Dr

Brimms Rd

Brooyar Rd

Bular Rd

Bymount Rd

Cahill Rd

Carlsons Rd

Carmyle Rd

Casey Rd

Caulley Rd

Chapman Rd

Cirson Rd

Clancy Lane

Cloyne Rd

Clune Rd

Cogzell Rd

Coleman Siding Rd

Cotter Rd

Council St

Crownthorpe Rd

Cullen Rd

Cullinane Rd

Daddamarine Rd

Daniel Rd

Davis Rd

Devil Mountain

Rd Dombrow

Rd Dowdle Rd

Dray Rd

Drum Finn Rd

Edwards Rd

Elginvale Rd

Ettrickdale Rd

Euler Rd

Ferguson Rd

Finney Rd

Fischer Rd

Fleming Rd

Gatehouse Rd

Gerber Rd

Gibbs Rd

Glasgow Rd

Glencoe Rd

Godber Rd

Golden Hills Rd

Golden Nugget Rd

Goomeribong Rd

Goonuloom Rd

Groggy Rd

Haas Rd

Harch Rd

Harm Rd

Harwood Rd

Hawkes Rd

Hawkins Rd

Hayden Dr

Hayes Rd

Heathwood Rd

Hibbetts Rd

Hodge St

Holznagel Rd

Hunt Rd

Jackson Rd

Janke Rd

Jefferies Rd

Jenkins Rd

Jensen Rd

Johnstown Rd

Jones Rd

Jones St

Kabi Crescent

Kabunga Rd

Kiabora Dr

Kitt Crescent

Kolling Rd

Laird St

Lehmann Rd

Little Widgee Rd

Llewellyn St

Lower Wonga Hall Rd

MacAulay Rd

MacKaway Rd

Main Creek Rd

Margoo Rd

Mariner Rd

McCarthy Rd

McKewen Rd

Mengel Rd

Moonbrook Rd

Mt Coora Rd

Mt Olive Rd

Mt Victor Rd

Munna Miva Rd

Munro St

Neaavie Rd

Nemeth Rd

Nielsens Rd

Nutting Rd

Oakey Creek Rd

Oakfield North Rd

Oakfield Rd

Oaklands Rd

Oakview Rd

OBrien Rd

ODonnell Rd

Old Boonara Rd

Old Murgon Gayndah Rd

Ormes Rd

P.E.I. Rd

Pahlow Rd

Pearce Rd

Pearson Rd

Phillips Rd

Pike Rd

Planted Creek Rd

Porter Rd

Quandong Rd

Quinn Rd

Raguse Rd

Range Rd

Reid Rd

Reilly Rd

Richardson Rd

Rogash Rd

Rose Rd

Ross Rd

Rossmore Rd

Running Creek Rd

Sawpit Rd

Schollick Rd

Scott Rd

Seibenhausen Rd

Sellen Rd

Sexton Rd

Silburn Rd

Silver Perch Rd

Sinai Rd

Smith Rd

Spencer Rd

Staib Rd

Staples Rd

Stegmann Rd

Stringer Rd

Stumm Rd

Summers Rd

Tansey Hall Rd

Thomas Rd

Thomas St

Thornside Rd

Tierney Rd

Tomine Rd

Two Mile Rd

Upper Thornside Rd

Upper Widgee Rd

Waldock Rd

Walker Rd

Wambai Pl

Warhurst Rd

Watchbox Rd

Webb Rd

West Coast Rd

Westaway Rd

Whitaker Rd

White Rock Rd

Williams Rd

Wilson Rd

Wittenberg Rd

Originally published as Gympie council awards $16 million tender for flood damaged road fixes