Initial stage of drainage work completed
MOORE Park Beach residents have welcomed the completion of the first stage of works by Bundaberg Regional Council to fix ongoing drainage problems in the beachside community but say it's "the first step in a thousand-mile journey".
Moore Park Beach Community Association secretary George Shuter said the clearing of drains downstream of Palm View Dr would flush the lagoon clear with the next significant rain.
However, unless the state government untied council's hands and allowed cleaning of the tidal bund to Moore Park Creek, the drainage problems would continue.
"People are talking about the lagoon but it's only the symptom of a larger problem," he said.
"The bottleneck is still there and that's where the works should have started."
Mr Shuter said the residents' group had submitted a 40-page document to Environment Minister Andrew Powell, who had cited the ecological significance of the area as the reason why the bund could not be cleared.
"We're still waiting for the minister to tell what there is to protect," Mr Shuter said yesterday.
"There's no marine life or no bird life - just mud."
Bundaberg Regional Council confirmed that workers had yesterday completed work on the Murdoch's Rd drain at Moore Park Beach downstream of Palm View Dr.
Division 1 Councillor Alan Bush said six driveways had been reconstructed to improve flows and the drain cleared and widened.
"However, council is unable to progress any work on the drain downstream of Moore Park Rd after an application referred to the State Government was rejected on environmental grounds," he said.
Cr Bush said Mayor Mal Forman had invited Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney to attend an onsite inspection in the hope of resolving finalising the drainage problems.
Mr Shuter said he would welcome a visit from Mr Seeney so he could see the problem first-hand.
"Wouldn't that be a sight to see the Deputy Premier here," he said.
"I'd even provide the gumboots and the Aeroguard."
