DETAILED design plans for the reconstruction of Duck Creek Road are finally in the works, drawing praise from long-time advocates for the road’s reopening.
Locals have been campaigning to reopen the only direct route from O’Reilly’s to Kerry since landslips caused by Cyclone Debbie forced its closure in 2017.
They received word that contractors were starting preliminary investigations for the detailed design plans on August 2.
According to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the project will ‘develop a detailed design package which will enable Council to secure funding to reopen Duck Creek Road and allow an alternative evacuation route and allow for preseason risk management activities like back burning in the future’.
The Scenic Rim Regional Council has received $127,249 through the Disaster Ready Fund 2023-2024 for the ‘Detailed design of Duck Creek Road, Kerry’ project. Council is contributing $130,835 towards the project.
Advocates had a positive meeting with Council on June 18, Council officially received the community’s ‘Reopen Duck Creek Road’ petition at the July 24 Ordinary Meeting and Duck Creek Road landholder Ross Elliott made representations to Main Roads Shadow Minister, Steve Minnikin, on August 5.
Mr Elliott was at the June 18 meeting with O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat CEO Shane O’Reilly, Cr Steve Moriarty, advocate Jodie O’Reilly, Beaudesert local Tom Plunkett, Mayor Tom Sharp, Cr Duncan McInnes, General Manager Asset and Environmental Sustainability Chris Gray and a Council engineer.
Shane O’Reilly said the support was encouraging.
“The mayor is very much supportive of it being reopened using State or Federal money. That’s all we really wanted because we’ve struggled to date because Council hasn’t actually been supportive of it regardless of where the money has come from,” he said.
“The beauty of Duck Creek Road being reopened is people will be able to drive the circuit and picnic like they used to, a day out with the kids and family for just the cost of fuel in your car.
“We’d love to see it reopened to be able to employ people again from Kerry, which unfortunately fell away when the road closed.”
The Reopen Duck Creek Road petition has 2383 signatures and comments and can still be signed at https://www.petitions.net/reopen_duck_creek_road_in_scenic_rim
