15 January 2020
Southern Downs Regional Council is aware of the ongoing public concern following recent maintenance works on the Condamine River Road crossings and remains committed to keeping the community and interested parties informed prior to an official public meeting being scheduled.
Council staff have been working closely with the Departments of Environment & Science, Agriculture & Fisheries and Natural Resources, Mines and Energy to determine whether further action is required. These government agencies administer the legislation related to works in rivers and watercourses and are currently conducting their own independent investigations and inspections of the maintenance works carried out by Council on the crossings. These findings are pending and Council is awaiting the reports so that we have a full understanding and can share that information with the community.
Over the last few weeks, Council staff have been liaising with a number of concerned Killarney residents. From these discussions, it was mutually agreed that further public consultation would be scheduled once all relevant information from the departments had been finalised.
Southern Downs Regional Council understands the community concerns and ongoing interest, and is committed to working with both the relevant State agencies and our local community to resolve any issues surrounding environmental impact from the maintenance on the Condamine River Road crossings and the future management of the area. Once all of the information has been received, Council will share findings and have an open discussion with the community via a public meeting. Council will advise of a date for the meeting and encourages all residents and interested parties to attend.
Background: Maintenance works were undertaken to the crossings to make the roads safer and more accessible for visitors, while also allowing rural residents and emergency services better access to local properties.