{"id":346189,"date":"2024-03-28T17:27:35","date_gmt":"2024-03-28T07:27:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=346189"},"modified":"2024-04-01T20:40:52","modified_gmt":"2024-04-01T10:40:52","slug":"work-under-way-to-fix-range-road","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2024\/03\/28\/work-under-way-to-fix-range-road\/","title":{"rendered":"Work Under Way To Fix Range Road"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Work has finally started on repairing retaining walls on the Blackbutt Range, something I’ve been agitating for since 2022<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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March 28, 2024<\/strong><\/p>\n

Regular users of the Blackbutt Range would have noticed works are finally under way to repair the concrete stabilising wall.<\/p>\n

Since large cracks started appearing in the wall following the heavy rain of early 2022, I have received many inquiries from people worried that if there was further heavy rain there could be a landslip which closed the Blackbutt Range.<\/p>\n

We all know the importance of the Blackbutt Range in connecting the South Burnett to Brisbane and the coast, and any loss of this major access route would have been devastating.<\/p>\n

So I’ve been writing to the Department of Transport and Main Roads to highlight these legitimate safety concerns, and I was very pleased recently to be advised that works to repair the concrete wall will finally be undertaken.<\/p>\n

The repair works are expected to take about ten weeks to complete, weather permitting, so I would encourage road users to take care through the roadworks during this time.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m definitely looking forward to seeing the job completed and the safety of this key road being improved!<\/p>\n

* * *<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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I really enjoyed my visit with St Joseph’s Year 5 students in Murgon … it was, one of several local schools I’ve visited over the past few months<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Schools Off To A Great Start In 2024<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

I love to visit schools in my electorate and it has been wonderful to attend leadership induction ceremonies right across the region recently, including Harlin SS, Goomeri P-10, Wooroolin SS, Kilcoy SHS and Nanango SHS.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I wish all our school leaders, teachers and students a terrific 2024 full of learning and fun.<\/p>\n

I also recently enjoyed visiting the Year 5s at St Joseph\u2019s School in Murgon.<\/p>\n

The class was learning about government and I was very impressed by their knowledge and excellent questions.<\/p>\n

There’s certainly the possibility of a few future politicians in the room!<\/p>\n

* * *<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Kumbia Hall was packed for Kumbia QCWA’s recent Centenary celebrations, and my hat’s off to the organisers who did such a great job putting it all together<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Big Crowd At Kumbia QCWA Centenary<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

It was an honour to be a part of the recent centenary celebrations for the Kumbia QCWA.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Congratulations to president Catherine Woodham, secretary Moira Curtain and the members for organising committee on a fantastic event to mark their 100 years of service to the Kumbia community.<\/p>\n

In fact, the Kumbia CWA was established just two years after the Queensland Country Women\u2019s Association was formed in 1922.<\/p>\n

Well done to these remarkable ladies!<\/p>\n

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On-site at Cherry Creek Estate in Blackbutt with the owners, who are now producing their own brand of delicious Avocado Oil<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Avocado Oil Manufacturing In Blackbutt<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Right here in the Nanango electorate \u2013 just outside Blackbutt – Leo and his team are growing and producing Cherry Creek Estate Avocado Oil, a 100 per cent Aussie-grown product.<\/strong><\/p>\n

They noticed a unique opportunity to make high quality avocado oil and are going from strength to strength.<\/p>\n

It was great to visit their farm and see their operations at first hand.<\/p>\n

They also grow ginger and macadamias!<\/p>\n

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It was great to attend this year’s Cooyar Show to kick off our region’s 2024 show season …<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Kicking Off The Region’s Shows At Cooyar<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

I headed to Cooyar in late February for one of our region\u2019s first shows of the year at Cooyar.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Thanks to Scott and his team and a big shout out to Cooyar State School kids for the brilliant Advance Australia Fair.<\/p>\n

While I was in the area, I also inspected the roadworks on the New England Highway between Cooyar and Coalbank.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Local residents and regular users of this road are extremely frustrated by the ongoing delays which have been occurring since the roadworks began in May 2021.<\/p>\n

At the beginning of the year the heavy machinery left the site, stopping the works for another two months. It left the unfinished section of the Highway a narrow one-way stretch, controlled by multiple sets of traffic lights with very high drop-offs on each side.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s just not good enough that the works were suspended and typical of a city-centric Labor Government who continue to neglect regional roads.<\/p>\n

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… but it’s not so good to see that nearby upgrades to the New England Highway are years behind schedule and still not completed<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n