Floodway upgrades better prepare Goondiwindi Region for future rain events

Two new concrete floodways will better prepare Retreat Road and Narromine Road in the north of the Goondiwindi Region for future heavy rainfall events.

Goondiwindi Regional Council prioritised the new floodways to reduce the costs of ongoing repairs to the previous gravel structures.

Goondiwindi Regional Council received $1,139,053 from the Australian Government’s Roads to Recovery (R2R) program for 2021-22, and has allocated $64,573 towards the Retreat Road floodway upgrade.

Council contributed $135,060 towards the Narromine Road upgrade.

Councillor Jason Watts holds Council’s portfolio for roads and transport. He said the works were part of Council’s commitment to invest in transport infrastructure right across the region.

“This is a significant investment in two of our regional roads that will benefit all road users along Retreat and Narromine Roads, and properties to the north of Goondiwindi in particular,” Cr Watts said.

“Before the upgrades, the floodways had insufficient gravel depth which was contributing to poor driving conditions, especially after heavy rainfall like we’ve experienced a lot this year,” he said.

“The new concrete floodways will not only mean smoother driving and less dust for road users, but it will improve local drainage and lead to less damage and associated costs of repair for Council going forward.”

Cr Watts said external funding opportunities such as the R2R program played an important role in upgrading the region’s regional infrastructure.

“I’m really pleased to see this kind of funding go towards our regional roads in particular,” he said. “As a Council, we see this is a great opportunity to invest in our regional roads using external funding - which means less cost to the ratepayer.

“A five-figure project like the Retreat Road upgrade is also a considerable injection into our local economy, as Council was able to use local contractors and suppliers to complete the work. This means that funding goes straight back to our local community and supports local businesses.”

The recent floodway works complement a number of other recent road upgrades across the region that have been funded externally, including a major $6.25 million project to widen the Barwon Highway between Talwood and Nindigully.

It also complements the $1.62 million that Council has allocated towards re-sheeting regional roads in 2021-22.