Cyclone Nora’s $4.6m damage bill for single Cairns road

The effects of Cyclone Nora are still hitting the bottom dollar as Cairns Regional Council prepares to spent $4.6 million to fix flood damage a year after the fact.

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THE effects of Cyclone Nora are still hitting the bottom dollar as Cairns Regional Council prepares to spend $4.6 million to fix flood damage a year after the fact.

The council is due today to sign off on repairing stormwater pipes and road embankments along Lake Morris Rd, which were severely damaged when intense rainfall lashed the area near Copperlode Dam in March 2018.

Works include $3.2 million of repairs already funded under the state and federal governments’ Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements, with ratepayers to pick up the $836,000 shortfall.

“It is anticipated that the NDRRA-funded works will commence in April 2019 and be completed by late June 2020,” a report to this morning’s council meeting states. “Road patching and resealing works would commence on completion of the NDRRA works and would be completed by December 2020.

“The works will therefore be funded over three financial years and the complementary works will be included into future capital budget submissions.”

Originally published as Cyclone Nora’s $4.6m damage bill for single Cairns road