Swimming Hole -$500,000 upgrade
Biggest news from the uplands is the major construction happening at the Water Hole. During Cyclone Debbie a dangerous slip occurred 50m before the Waterhole.
The road remained intact, but there was a 20 m cliff dropping straight into the creek off the edge of the road. City of Gold Coast secured $1/2 million from the Feds for disaster relief…. And now we have this mega (almost) project being undertaken by Alders Construction.
The road is closed at the waterhole car park except for locals who are given access when possible. The construction crew are very considerate, trying to get us through as quickly as possible.
Through the whole process Council has consulted with us to try and get the best environmental outcome possible. The construction is made up of 350 gabions orwire cages filled with rock. This method has the least impact from machinery and when completed it will allow tree roots and other vegetation to grow through the rocks so it quickly blends back in to the rainforest. There is alsoprovision for major planting at the end of the job over all areas that have beenimpacted by the construction, trucks and other vehicles.
The biggest problem hasn’t been the construction – it’s how the hoons have reacted to the works. The road closure gate has been destroyed three times and gear and diesel has been stolen from the site twice. Visitors have in general not reacted well to the closed road and they have been a challenge to manage. The Foreman, Christian, and his crew have been great. They have tried to be as gentle on the bush as possible and they have worked in well with those of us who live past the waterhole.
The job should be completed around Easter.
