I rise to speak on Item A – the East Bank Flood Resilience project at Mt. Crosby in my Ward.
The Mount Crosby Water Treatment Plants are a critical part of the SEQ Water Grid and supply about 50 percent of South East Queensland’s drinking water including Brisbane, Ipswich and Logan.
The East Bank Flood Resilience Program involves a number of improvements to reduce asset and flood risks to essential bulk water infrastructure at the historical Mount Crosby East Bank Precinct.
Seqwater recently awarded the construction contract for the program’s Civil and Enabling works to McIlwain Civil Engineering Pty Ltd.
The contract includes earthworks and the construction of retaining walls, a substation pad and a sealed road to the substation.
The Eastern Access Road will be upgraded including conduit installation and reconfiguring the six-way intersection. Once complete, Energex will construct a new substation.
This project will reduce flood risks to critical water infrastructure at the East Bank precinct by preparing for the construction of a modern electrical substation on higher ground.
During the works period, the C&K Mt Crosby Community Kindergarten will continue to operate as normal.
Chair, its timely, given the events of the past two weeks, to stress the importance of relocating the source of power to the water treatment plants to higher ground.
I can’t begin to contemplate the consequences to our water supply had power been lost to this plant two weeks ago.
SEQ Water is to be commended for implementing its East Bank Flood Resilience Master Plan. It will safeguard essential infrastructure; provide certainty about the facility’s ongoing management and upgrade the bulk water storages facilities at Mt. Crosby.
The features of the Master Plan include the location a new pump station and sub-station on land above the 1:10,000 AEP flood level; a new high voltage power switch room; the relocation of the historic Drayman’s Cottage to near the Community Hall, specifically for community use; and the relocation of the Mt. Crosby Child Care Centre away from the utility installation.
But Chair, I have left the best to last, and that is for the construction of a new, two-lane, more flood resistant road bridge across the Brisbane River.
As I mentioned last week, the Karana Downs and Mt. Crosby communities were isolated for four days – no way in and no way out.
The existing bridge went under and when the waters receded, there appears to be considerable damage to the structure.
Its ability to take vehicular traffic again will be determined over the coming days, but you have to wonder whether its days as a car bridge are numbered.
Which makes the new bridge an even greater priority now.
Seqwater recognises that and is now assessing tenders for the works with the view of awarding the tender in the coming weeks.
The estimated cost of the bridge and connecting roadworks is $20 million which will be funded by Seqwater with Council eventually taking over the responsibility for its ongoing maintenance.
The construction of this bridge will play a key role in providing greater access in and out from that part of my Ward during flooding.
Another key component is upgrading Colleges Crossing which is in the Ipswich LGA. I urge the Labor Member for Ipswich West to tell his colleague, the Minister for Transport that the time for talking is now over and that the residents of the outer western suburbs want to see some action on a traffic solution at Colleges Crossing, and soon.
Thank you.