Top ten projects across our Region
Published on 03 August 2016
Rockhampton Regional Council is getting on with the job of delivering programs to improve the lives of residents. Here are ten of Council's million-dollar-plus projects we're working on this coming financial year.
Rockhampton Airport
Council is leading the way in airport safety with its $7.1m lighting project. This project will deliver an Australian first with a 100% LED runway lighting system at Rockhampton Airport which will reduce operation and maintenance costs significantly. The lights will be up and running later this year.
Kershaw Gardens
The $14m Kershaw Gardens restoration and redevelopment will provide a new and improved outdoor space with several playgrounds, picnic shelters, water play area, amenities, seats and BBQs. The project is set to be delivered over the next three years with a combination of State, Federal and Local Government funding. Kershaw Gardens was devastated during Cyclone Marcia, with exposed landfill creating a costly clean-up bill.
Rockhampton Riverbank
The Rockhampton Riverbank Precinct is a $36m project that will help transform the CBD. The project will include a new road and paths along Quay Street, a riverside restaurant, playgrounds and smart technology which will be a fantastic platform for future community events.
North Street
Major roadworks are happening along North Street, one of the gateways into Rockhampton. The section between Canning Street and Robert Street will be upgraded to include a wider road and incorporating marked bicycle lanes. More than $1.8 million worth of works will be carried over the next 3/4 months.
Gracemere Pound
A new $1.6m animal pound facility at Gracemere includes an administration block, cat holding and isolation, veterinary services facility and 24 screened kennels. Stage two will include a sealed road network with onsite car parking, another 24 kennel extension and stock control facilities. The new facility will be located on the Capricorn Hwy in Gracemere, on a site which was used as a pound in the former Fitzroy Shire.
Pilbeam Drive
Reconstruction works are expected to be completed by the end of the year on Pilbeam Drive. The road up the mountain was badly damaged by Tropical Cyclone Marcia, which tore through the region in February 2015. A $4.7m repair job – made possible through support from the State and Federal Government under the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements (NDRRA) - Category B and D - is progressing well.
McLeod Park
More than $685,000 has been spent on the installation of stormwater pipes and earthworks to upgrade the existing open drain running through McLeod Park from Berserker Street State School to Dean Street. The $3m stage 2 of McLeod Park drainage project will also help address flooding problems in the area.
Cedric Archer Park
The work has not stopped at Cedric Archer Park, with a $1.15m budget allocation for this financial year. In August 2015, Council officially opened Stage One of the redevelopment of Cedric Archer Park with the unveiling of the new $410,000 playground that features state of the art play experiences. In July 2016, Council officially opened the new street plaza style skate park. In addition to the skate park, new lighting will be installed with the proposed lighting being not only efficient but targeted to reduce light spillage. This financial year, the focus will be on Touch of Paradise improvements.
Battalion Memorial Pool
Rockhampton’s 42nd Battalion Memorial Pool has moved into stage two of the $2.4 million upgrade with work now underway. This joint initiative between Council and the Queensland Government will extend the pool’s life for a further 20 to 25 years. The unsafe pool slides and water play pools including cyclone-damaged equipment has been removed. Upgrades have also been made to the mini golf area, boundary lighting, a shelter shed and new BBQs, which accompany the redeveloped 50m pool's wet deck and new plant and equipment, and wading pools.
Mt Morgan Sewerage Upgrade
$1.1m has been budgeted for Stage 2 of this project which is imperative to the basic amenity of the township. The Mount Morgan Sewerage Extension Project is the second stage of a larger proposed sewer strategy for Mount Morgan which will ultimately see reticulated sewage services to approximately 450 properties. The existing sewer network will be expanded to allow for the required number of connection points to the various properties, and includes the construction of two sewage pump stations, associated rising mains and the construction of approximately 2.6 kilometres of gravity sewer.