October 11, 2018
It’s not every day that ratepayers break out into spontaneous applause when councillors discuss roadworks … but it’s been a long wait for Logan Street residents.
The 800m stretch of the road in the heart of Kingaroy has been dirt for years despite multiple approaches to Council since the days of the old Kingaroy Shire.
To rub salt into residents’ wounds, developers were compelled to bitumen another part of the road several years ago, but the more heavily used section running off First Avenue was left unsealed.
There have been multiple complaints about dusty conditions and Council has faced high maintenance costs due to continual re-sheeting.
An injury crash also occurred in May 2017 at the First Avenue intersection.
Residents’ pleas were finally answered at Wednesday’s South Burnett Council meeting when councillors voted unanimously to allocate funds from the gravel resheeting budget to construct a six metre overlay and seal between First Avenue and Regent Street.
“Sealing Logan Street would minimise the lifecycle costs for this road and reduce the impact on residents in an urban area,” Mayor Keith Campbell told the meeting.
The total estimated cost of the work is $167,516, which includes a two-coat seal estimated at $46,569.
Roads Portfolio holder Cr Gavin Jones said Council staff sometimes made recommendations about roads that continually cost a lot to maintain.
“There was one done in Nanango recently virtually on the side of a hill that always caused us grief,” Cr Jones said.
“Staff made a decision to seal that and it will save us a lot of money in the future.
“This is not setting a precedent. Just because you have a dirt road on the edge of a town, it doesn’t automatically mean there’s a requirement to have a sealed road.
“I just want to clarify that this is on special conditions.
“This one will save us a lot of money going forward because half-way along that road we always have continual problems with water and damage. ”
Cr Danita Potter said she had been fighting to have Logan Street sealed for quite some time: “I feel like we just won, guys!”
Whoops, applause and shouts of “thank you” erupted from the public gallery.
“It’s nice to make a decision that actually makes a lot of people very happy,” Mayor Campbell commented.
Speaking after the meeting, Bev Fiedler said she and her husband Tony had been living on the corner of Logan and Regent streets for 25 years.
“It’s the only dirt road in town so people like to hoon on it and do wheelies,” she said.
Brooke Stead also has been living nearby for five years.
“I won’t have the dust coming straight into the house!” she said.
“I would really like to thank the South Burnett Regional Council and especially Danita.
“I could really cry!”
