CLOSING the northbound lane of Brisbane Street in the middle of Beaudesert is necessary to address the town’s long-running drainage woes.
That is the word from Scenic Rim Regional Council as major deep excavation and drainage works intensify as part of the Beaudesert Town Centre Revitalisation Project 2020-2025.
At time of print, the northbound lane of Brisbane Street from the traffic lights to Eaglesfield Street was closing to motorists from September 5, with detours to be put in place.
One major detour will be via Eaglesfield Street, which at time of print was still closed as contractors worked towards completing drainage works at that intersection.
Southbound open but impacted
A Council spokesperson told the Beaudesert Bulletin the southbound lane of Brisbane Street will not close to traffic, but it will be congested and on-street parking will be impacted.
The southbound section of Brisbane Street from Short Street to the traffic lights is a major area of concern for town centre flooding.
The Bulletin team knows this first hand as our office, located in the arcade accessed from that part of Brisbane Street, is one of several shopfronts that flood in heavy downpours.
The spokesperson told the Bulletin 11 ‘gully pits’ (inlets to allow the water to go underground to address surface flooding) will be installed in that section of road alone. Additionally, the traffic island will be broken up to allow water to flow over the surface of the road down Short Street if necessary.
Short Street and beyond
Installing stormwater infrastructure under Short Street, which previously had no stormwater capacity, is a core part of fixing the town’s drainage.
Water will be able to flow down Short Street to Spring Creek at a depth of 1.2 metres and a width of 5.5 metres. But it does not stop there, according to Council.
“There’ll be a point where the excavator will get onto Brisbane Street northbound… so that hole in the ground will actually go up to the front of the pub then all the way to the set of lights,” a spokesperson told the Bulletin.
“Eaglesfield is also addressing town drainage issues. You’ve seen it before, it comes around that corner and there’s nothing to stop it just heading down towards Brisbane Street. The intention is to cut that down by catching the water as we go down Eaglesfield as well.”
The spokesperson said current drainage works were being done in a way that would allow them to be able to connect to any potential future infrastructure addressing flooding from behind the shops on Brisbane Street.
Closures not for beautification
“It’s going to get very congested and probably the worst of all, but it’s not for beautification, it’s purely for core infrastructure that’s needed,” the Council spokesperson said.
“The major inconvenience, like shutting Eaglesfield, shutting Short Street, shutting Brisbane Street northbound is around resolving legacy issues that have been there for years.”
“The most major inconveniences are the most important drainage work. It’s the core infrastructure for the town drain to function correctly.”
Parklands opening up
Digging up the town centre to fix the drainage might not look beautiful but the parklands (from Davidson Park to the Selwyn Street extension) are shaping up to open in October.
According to the Council spokesperson, the plan is to have the refurbished CWA hall, new stage, lighting, amphitheatre, public toilets, public art, storyboards, Mununjali yarning circles and footpaths open by October, pending weather.
They said the Eaglesfield Street roundabout is set to open in early 2025.
The spokesperson urged people to keep supporting businesses as drainage work intensified.
“Businesses are open, please support and buy local,” they said.
“It’s important to be aware of the changes to traffic conditions and pedestrian access all the time, as it’s continually changing. Council acknowledges there is an inconvenience to local residents, business owners, pedestrians and motorists while the work is being undertaken. Your patience and understanding is appreciated.”
