South Burnett Regional Council Mayor Brett Otto reveals cost of flood damage and repair time frame

The region’s fifth flood in eight months is set to add millions to the existing hefty damage bill to the region’s infrastructure, with crews taking months to complete emergency repairs.

With floodwaters again receding after huge parts of the region were inundated yet again, the clean up and repair work is set to start all over again.

For the fifth time in less than 12 months, the South Burnett was hit with an onslaught of heavy rainfall on Thursday night and into Friday morning, claiming the life of a 47-year-old man and forced evacuations.

South Burnett Mayor Brett Otto said the recurrent disasters were devastating for the community.

“It’s absolutely heartbreaking … not just the devastation to our roads, but also the challenges that it’s causing to our farmers,” he said.

“Five times in eight months, it’s unprecedented in my lifetime.”

Flooding on Brown St, Nanango, July 22, 2022. Picture: Dominic Elsome

Mr Otto revealed the council had already submitted a damage bill of more than $20 million to the Queensland Reconstruction Authority for infrastructure repairs caused by previous flooding this year, adding that figure was only expected to grow.

“At this stage we don’t know what the damage will be. I wouldn't give you a quote as to what the figure will be, but I won’t be surprised if that figure pushes up into the high 20 (million dollars),” he said.

Flooding on Brown St, Nanango, July 22, 2022. Picture: Dominic Elsome

That’s on top of the “trigger point” cost the council pays for accessing the reconstruction funding, similar to an excess, of $216,000.

With five separate events in eight months, the council will end up forking out more than $1 million simply to access to funding.

Mr Otto said council crews were working flatstick to complete emergency repairs to roads, with more than 1000 reported defects flagged with the council.

Images of flood damage roads in the South Burnett posted by Mayor Brett Otto earlier in the year.

But the repeated flooding means the council doesn’t expect its crews to complete even the emergency repairs for at least three months, with long-term repairs likely much further away.

“It has put our work crews back to first base,” Mr Otto said.

The floods have also had a devastating impact on local farmers, who on top of losing much of their summer crops, have now seen fencing and topsoil damaged yet again.

“They just seem to get their head above water, and another tidal wave comes and knocks them over again,” he said.

“They absolutely haven't had a chance to get back on their feet.”

Originally published as South Burnett Regional Council Mayor Brett Otto reveals cost of flood damage and repair time frame