Gladstone Regional Council plans to spend almost $100 million on roads and drainage this financial year, according to a snapshot of the 2018-19 budget handed down this week. A further $47.8 million will be spent on water assets, $16.4 million on waste and $48.9 million on sewerage. Mayor Matt Burnett said the council welcomed capital projects funding of $18.1 million from the Federal and State governments via various programs including Works for Queensland, Building our Regions, and Roads to Recovery. “Federal and State funding will also be utilised to build better roads for our residents with $15.3 million of Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements and related Betterment funds to be spent on works to improve the flood immunity of vulnerable floodways and causeway crossings, and repair impacted road assets throughout the region,” he said. “In addition, council will spend almost $5.5 million on bitumen reseals and more than $2.7 million on gravel re-sheeting for the region’s roads as part of its ongoing road maintenance program.”

Major project highlights in the Gladstone region

Among the major projects attracting significant funding in 2018-19 are: •  flood damage repair works – $14.2m •  reconstruction of Red Rover Rd between the Power Station Bridge and Jeff Ringland Drive – $1.7m •  Kirkwood Rd/Lavender Blvd intersection improvements – $1.06m •  footpaths – $3.75m •  Bray Park pump track, Boyne Island – $900,000 •  Gladstone Waste Water Treatment Plant biosolids treatment – $8.9m •  Reservoir works – $7.9m •  Agnes Water Waste Transfer Station upgrade – $1m.

Livingstone Shire pumps $48.3m into capital works

The Livingstone Shire Council also handed down its budget today, with $48.3 million earmarked for capital works – bolstered by $14.6 million secured from State and Federal funding sources. • Yeppoon Sewerage Treatment Plant Augmentation – $14.1m • Emu Park Village & Foreshore Revitalisation – $2.9m • Capricorn Coast Memorial Gardens – $2.9m • 2.9km shared pathway along Scenic Highway – $2.3m • Completion of civil works for the Homemaker Centre – $1.8m • Roundabout construction at Old Rockhampton and Barmaryee Rd – $1.6m • Sealing of 2.1km Svendsen Rd – $1.6m • Upgrade parking facilities at St Christopher’s Chapel Rd in conjunction with TMR planned upgrades at the Nerimbera Boat Ramp – $1.2m • Upgrade of St Christopher’s Chapel Road to 8m to suit Type 1 road trains – $1m • Signalised intersection on Taranganba Rd – $1.2m • Renewal of unsealed rural gravel roads – $1.1m • Rural sealed pavement renewal program – $1m • Replace and widening Daly Creek bridge – $850,300 • Thirteen concrete rural floodway upgrades across the Shire – $774,244 • Flood mitigation works for Yeppoon Creek outlets – $773,000 • Reseal urban road program – $1.0m • Yeppoon Town Centre Smart Precinct and Lighting project – $895,000 More than $19 million has been set aside in the capital budget for roads and associated transport infrastructure, with a further $6.5m planned for maintenance programs.