Mayor’s View – 18th June, 2009
In previous columns I have addressed outcomes from our Planning and Health Departments. With the financial year end approaching readers may be interested in knowing now how our capital works program has fared.
Priorities for new capital works are determined by staff, using council approved criteria.
The Works Department is our largest department, with 148 employees out of a total council workforce of 356 employees.
This column is restricted to advice about capital works in the transport area, that is, roads and bridges, this being the largest category.
The Cassowary Coast Regional Council has a capital works budget of some $22 million for the year ended 30th June, 2009.
Of that total $7.5 million is for transport. The operational budget for transport repairs and maintenance is greater, at $11 million.
Out of 252 transport capital projects in the current budget, only 6 have been deferred.
This excludes Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements (NDRRA) approvals since February 2009, which will be undertaken primarily in 2009/10. These deferrals were brought about by the large number of NDRRA projects arising out of flood events. There were 45 NDRRA projects from the 2008 wet season and 16 from the 2009 wet season. We have completed all of the NDRRA projects that require completion by 30th June so no subsidies have expired.
In terms of expenditure on new roads and bridges, we have spent $5.3 million and have committed a further $600,000. This is the bulk of our civil works capital program.
The major transport work involved completion of the Maccaronnes Bridge, which had expenditures over several years.
This large project meant that only seven roads had bitumen surfaces rehabilitated and two roads which were previously unsealed were sealed. Three other sealed roads had significant improvements (widening, drainage and kerb and guttering) completed.
Without a major bridge replacement the new budget for 2009/10 more roads should be able to be sealed or resealed. The Jubilee Bridge decision is still to be made and could influence the final outcome. The state government has promised $12 million towards this bridge.
The following roads received major capital project funding in 2008/09: Banfield Parade, Fitzgerald Esplanade, Owen Street, Reid Road, Tully Gorge Road, Wongaling Beach Road, Conch St, Ranch Road, Ellerbeck Road, Kinjun Road, Alexander Drive, Donkin Lane, Mourilyan Road, McGowan Drive, Railway Street, Station Street, and Warrubullen Road.
Many other roads received minor capital funding allocations and substantially more received funding for repairs.
We constructed a substantial bus shelter at Mission Beach State School and resurfaced the pavement adjacent to the Good Counsel School in Innisfail.
The new financial year will be an opportunity to advance other projects, for example the footpath and cycleway program, which did not progress significantly in the current year, due to higher priority transport works.