June 5, 2013
The South Burnett Regional Council hopes that drainage problems at the Memerambi housing estate will be solved in the near future.
Mayor Wayne Kratzmann told southburnett.com.au yesterday the Council had been undertaking extensive consultations with the project’s developer in an effort to get the matter resolved.
He believes the talks are close to producing a solution.
SBRC Planning and Environment General Manager Stan Taylor confirmed today the Council would be presenting a proposal to the Department Of Main Roads in “about a week”.
If the Department accepts it, then work on a permanent drainage solution should be able to proceed soon afterwards.
Mr Taylor said the main issue with the estate was it had “five or six” catchments passing through it.
Since the front of the estate was immediately next to the Bunya Highway, Main Roads wanted to be assured that any drainage solution wouldn’t have any impact on the highway.
The original development proposal planned to have four large retention basins to cope with stormwater flows, he said.
However the Council and developers have been looking at an alternative approach they believe will achieve the same results more easily, and at lower cost.
Mr Taylor said Council’s two priorities were to protect properties adjoining the estate from stormwater run-off and to protect the highway.
Run-off from the 2011 floods had led to protests by local residents, who demanded action on the issue.
Mr Taylor said he believed the proposal the Council would be putting to Main Roads would solve the drainage problems.
However, he was unable to estimate how long Main Roads would take to assess and respond to the proposal.
