With the recent floods cutting access on the Bruce Highway between Home Hill and Ayr, many people were left marooned, finding themselves stranded on either side of the river. Doctors, nurses, patients, teachers, students, workers, didn’t matter – everyone was stuck!
After successfully implementing their rail-cart system during the Ingham floods, both Burdekin Shire Council with the aid of Queensland Rail, deployed it here in the Burdekin to great success as Mayor Pierina Dalle Cort explains.
“We had people caught out and for different reasons. From the medical side of things, we've tried to address that as quickly as possible for people with the assistance of Q-rail. They provided the rail-cart and they’ve been ferrying people back and forth as quickly as possible,” Mayor Dalle Cort says.
“People have been as patient as possible but having that Q-rail cart has made a big difference for people to move and connect with community again,” Mayor Dalle Cort added.
With the tropical low monsoon and the amount of rain and floodwater, the Burdekin was inundated with water, especially in Giru and at Plantation Creek by Plantation Park.
“I've never seen it [water] go over the railway track in my lifetime. It was touch and go there for a while. The roads here have been one of those things that’s been neglected in North Queensland for too long. But all these things will now be addressed with the Queensland State Disaster Recovery, which is now being coordinated.”
“There will be a lot of work under the disaster management recovery with regard to drainage issues that we have, that have been going on for some time. We need to have them addressed sooner than later instead of putting it off until the next time. It might be another 10 years before it next floods, but we'll certainly be looking at it from a Council's point of view and we'll be knocking on ministers’ doors for help and assistance,” Mayor Dalle Cort states.
Thankfully, in better news, the Mayor said life will get back to normal with the re-opening of the Bruce Highway.
“We’ve got some great people working in this community, getting things done and dusted.
“The road crew and the council will be going out inspecting roads, patching up what we can, and taking signage down to get back to everyday life. Then long term, trying to improve the roads. This is when we start talking to ministers and making sure that we can get allocation in their budgets.”
The Queensland rail-cart is a free service operating between daytime hours and allowing access to those who need it.
Caption. L-R: Megan Cannings (Safety & Community Coordinator), Andy Pethybridge (Queensland Police Services Emergency Management Coordinator), Mayor Pierina Dalle Cort, John George and Stephen Winn (S.E.S), Deputy Mayor Max Musumeci, Eliza Lovell (Economic Development Coordinator). Photo credit: Mark T Rasmussen
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