New Wreck Point walking trail at Yeppoon scrapped, different plan chosen

After lengthy debate at Tuesday’s monthly meeting, Livingstone councillors went against a recommendation from the shire’s officers in favour of a different plan. See what they decided.

Andrea Curtis took this picture at Wreck Point in Yeppoon in 2019.

Livingstone’s council officers went into Tuesday’s monthly meeting with a vision for the future of Yeppoon’s popular tourist attraction Wreck Point including a change to one-way traffic, but councillors decided to go in a different direction.

After lengthy debate, councillors ultimately agreed on a new plan that will see two-way traffic flow maintained and a shared pathway introduced along Matthew Flinders Drive.

For those not familiar with the background on this issue, at a special council meeting in June, councillors resolved to abandon plans to design and construct a gravel walking trail at Wreck Point, and to press on with investigating a possible roadside shared pathway project.

A subsequent report was presented to the council during an August briefing session outlining options devised by officers for the provision of a shared pathway.

After that briefing session, officers engaged the community for feedback.

What officers took to Tuesday’s meeting on September 21, was a recommendation for council to endorse the one-way traffic and roadside shared path option along Matthew Flinders Drive between Daniel Park and Cathne Street.

Officers considered this option, at a cost of $3.41m over five years, as the most viable option - requiring changing the existing two-way traffic along Matthew Flinders Drive, around Wreck Point, to one-way traffic.

This would have seen the shared pathway constructed on the existing natural and road surface.

Tasha Sharman took this photo from Wreck Point, looking towards Rosslyn Bay.

The second option, to maintain two-way traffic along Matthew Flinders Drive around Wreck Point, was what the majority of attendees at the initial community engagement meeting in November, 2017, expressed a preference for.

But officers determined that second option (two-way traffic - shared pathway) would come at a cost of $4.91m over five years.

The third option, for two-way traffic but this one with a boardwalk along Matthew Flinders Drive from Gregory St (Daniel Park) to Cathne St (Wreck Point Lookout) - would have come at a cost of $6.21m over six years.

On Tuesday, three councillors left the meeting declaring conflict of interests - Mayor Andy Ireland, Deputy Mayor Adam Belot and Pat Eastwood - leaving Andrea Friend to chair the meeting.

Livingstone’s Engineering Services manager Tony Lau revealed the results of the recent community consultation.

Cr Andrea Friend chaired the council meeting on September 21, 2021, after Mayor Andy Ireland and two other councillors declared conflicts of interest in relation to Item 11.12.

Mr Lau said the majority of respondents supported two-way traffic with a boardwalk - the most expensive ($6.21m) option.

Ms Friend went around the table to find out what option each remaining councillor preferred.

Cr Nigel Hutton said his preference was Option Two.

Cr Rhodes Watson said he did not like any of the options and was concerned about cost blowouts.

Cr Glenda Mather said she liked Option Two but she was not sure about a boardwalk.

Ms Friend said she liked Option 2 with a shared pathway.

What eventuated was Mr Hutton moving a foreshadowed motion that council endorse two-way traffic flow and a shared pathway along Matthew Flinders Drive and prepare a business case for delivery of that.

That motion was passed unanimously.

Originally published as New Wreck Point walking trail at Yeppoon scrapped, different plan chosen