Completion of The Shelf Road, which was due for at the end of May, is now expected by late September.
Scenic Rim Regional Council Director Infrastructure Services James Ruprai said the construction program had been extended due to ongoing wet weather and challenging geotechnical conditions encountered during construction, including significant volumes of hard rock.
“The project is now in its final stages, with remaining works including completion of the stormwater drainage, installation of services, demolition of the former road alignment, landscaping, and final surfacing works,” Mr Ruprai said.
He said despite the four month delay the project remained in budget, which was estimated to be between $11 and $12 million.
The project is being partly funded by the Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA) providing $6.2 million for the council to undertake restoration works to repair Shelf Road.
The project was undertaken following the collapse of the existing road in March 2022.
The Shelf Road sits on a landslip zone, not underpinned by bedrock, which according to a Department of Mines report carried out by geologist Warwick Willmott in 1981 found it unsuitable for any form of settlement and that further clearing would sooner or later result in the development of major instability.
There are 15 houses on the road and according to one resident, Terry Day, many insurance companies will not insure houses on the road.
“Even the providers of Reverse Mortgages for Pensioners through the Governments Home Equity Access Scheme do not lend for The Shelf Road houses,” he said after asking them.
Mr Day, who has been fighting the council on behalf of several residents whose houses have been impacted by the unstable land, said a number of them are moving.
He said elderly couple Khim and David Hay, whose house has been severely impacted by the landslip with the council deeming it ‘dangerous and dilapidated’ in October 2023, had to abandon their house, but were still being forced to pay rates.
Leon and Olga Radunz’s house, which sits beside the Hay’s, and has also suffered significant damage said he was pleased the road was nearing completion.
“Given the delays due to ongoing wet weather, we are pleased to see substantial improvement,” he said.
