Streetscape Costs Rise To $2.7m

The cost of upgrading Wondai’s roundabout and lower Scott Street has ballooned from $1.5m to $2.7m in just two years (Graphic: SBRC)

November 2, 2023

The cost of upgrading Wondai’s roundabout and the lower portion of Scott Street has ballooned from $1.5 million to $2.7 million during the past two years.

Councillors were told about the project’s latest cost estimates at Wednesday’s infrastructure standing committee meeting.

Infrastructure General Manager Aaron Meehan said his staff had explored multiple options to deliver the project for the community, and he hoped a final go-ahead could be given at the SBRC’s general meeting on November 22.

However, he noted this go-ahead would depend in part on the outcome of community consultations that will be held over the coming week with affected Scott Street businesses, and in part on feedback from DTMR about the roundabout design, pedestrian crossing options and some other project-related issues.

Mr Meehan told the meeting the project’s initial cost was estimated to be $800,000 for the roundabout and $700,000 for upgrading lower Scott Street.

However, the roundabout was now estimated to cost $878,000 and Scott Street’s upgrade $1.9 million.

These increases were partly the result of inflation over the past two years and partly from more exact costings as the Council’s plans evolved from drafts to detailed designs.

The final designs were also informed by feedback from community consultations and “learnings” that staff involved in the KTP and Blackbutt CBD upgrades had been able to bring to the Wondai project.

Mr Meehan suggested, however, that most of the cost of the Scott Street roundabout and streetscape could be met partly from the State Government’s Works For Queensland grant program and partly from the Federal Government’s Local Roads and Community Infrastructure program.

This would mean the impact on SBRC ratepayer funds would be $800,000, which had already been set aside in the Council’s capital works program.

After lengthy discussions, Councillors resolved to approve the roundabout designs subject to DTMR approval; to accept the revised costings; and to take account of final community feedback so the issue could be brought to November’s general meeting for a go-ahead.

If approval is given at that meeting, work is expected to get under way at Wondai in early 2024.

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