FLOOD RECOVERY IN FOCUS Stuart Russell, Manager of Operations and Maintenance, provides a comprehensive overview of the flood recovery program, an essential initiative addressing the extensive damage caused by the 2022 and 2024 flood events.“Over the past two years, we’ve faced significant flooding events, the most notable one in October 2022,” Russell says. “These floods resulted in widespread damage, including 11.3 kilometers of roads and 123 assets on the road network. The estimated repair bill reached $30 million. Another major event in January 2024 damaged 6.5 kilometers of roads, bringing the total impact to 18 kilometers and 726 segments of various assets.” The recovery program involves meticulously assessing damages and filing claims through the Disaster Recovery Funding Agreement (DRFA) with the Department of Transport. “We’re currently awaiting approvals for claims valued at just under $20 million,” Russell explains.“The process requires extensive documentation to substantiate claims, including pre-and post-damage data.” STRENGTHENING INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCE Key components of the recovery efforts include upgrading culverts to meet current engineering standards and ensuring roads and other infrastructure are more resilient to future flooding. “Many of the damaged culverts were undersized,” Russell notes. “We’re working with the State Department of Transport to upgrade to 375-millimeter culverts as a minimum standard, improving the robustness of our infrastructure.” Council’s collaborative approach with stakeholders has expedited recovery efforts.“We hold fortnightly meetings with our assessors at the Department of Transport to address concerns and expedite approvals,” Russell says. “This partnership ensures that we can be shovel-ready once claims are approved, minimising delays in repair works.” COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND TRANSPARENCY Community engagement is also a critical element of the program.“The community has been understanding but cautious,” Russell emphasizes. “As a small rural council, we lack the financial capacity to undertake these repairs without funding assurances. It’s vital to ensure that all planned works are fully claimable to avoid significant financial exposure.” 71 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA VOLUME 07, ISSUE 01 MURRINDINDI SHIRE COUNCIL
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