Full-throttle finish for Council’s capital works program

Noosa Council will end the financial year with more than 82% of budgeted capital works projects either underway or completed.

Cr Frank Pardon said efforts to fast-track construction work in recent months had paid off and Council hoped to be tracking as high as 90% by June 30.

“We’ve ramped up the pace and as a result we’ve made up for much of the time lost to catch-up work and detailed design work in the early days following de-amalgamation,” he said.

Gibson Road safety improvements and the Noosa Botanic Gardens pathway upgrade are among projects recently completed, with the Noosaville Pirate Playground renewal nearing completion.

Council has now begun a Gympie Terrace pipe rehabilitation project, a pathway and lighting upgrade at Tewantin and the Cooroy-Noosa Road rehabilitation stage 1 works.

Cr Pardon said the bulk of Council’s 2014/2015 capital works projects will be either completed or well underway by June 30.

“The Munna Point bridge tender closes on the 10th of June. All going well there is chance we will have a contractor signed up very close to the end of the financial year which will commit the costs.

“This would leave only the Rifle Street flood mitigation works at Pomona as the only major project carried over to next year’s program,” Cr Pardon said.

Asset Planning Coordinator Bryan O’Connor said Council would continue to fast-track work ahead of June 30.

“For the remainder of the year we anticipate the same increase and trend and hope to achieve 80-90% of our actuals and commitments for the capital program,” he said.

“This is a huge improvement from where we sat in early December at just 12-15%.

Cr Pardon said: “The speed at which we have caught up reflects the hard work of all of the staff involved. They’ve done a fantastic job getting us to where we are now.”

5 June 2015