Noosa Council is set to approve its biggest single construction contract ever, for the landslide repair effort on Black Mountain Road.
The February 2022 landslide is believed to be the biggest experienced on the Sunshine Coast in 30 years. It is as wide as a rugby league playing field and as deep as a five-storey building.
A decision at a recent special meeting gave council’s acting CEO Larry Sengstock a green light to finalise details of the deal with contractor Hazell Bros.
Mayor Clare Stewart said the decision was an important milestone in the landslide repair effort.
“It’s one of the largest landslides this region has ever seen and fixing it is no simple feat,” she said.
The road is just west of the Bruce Highway, not far from Cooroy.
Related story: No easy fix for region’s ‘worst landslide in 30 years’
Mr Sengstock said the repair work was a huge job.
“This will be the largest single construction contract our council has awarded. It’s a massive project and it’s so very important that we’ve taken the time needed to get the design and contractor selection right,” he said.
“We look forward to consulting with immediately affected residents shortly to minimise impacts while work is under way.
“Hazell Bros ranked highest in our assessment criteria and has a strong track record in complex and difficult construction projects so residents can rest assured this project is in safe hands.”
Tender documents show that construction crews will be required to drive more than 300 steel and concrete piles into the ground to create a solid platform to rebuild the road and stabilise the road area at depths of 5-25 metres.
“The Black Mountain community has been very patient while we’ve worked through the incredibly complex task of designing an appropriate engineering solution to permanently repair the slip and rebuild the road above it, and we appreciate that,” Cr Stewart said.
“Having worked through that detailed work, the focus now shifts to construction, and we look forward to finalising contract details with Hazell Bros shortly so construction work can begin on the ground soon.”
The flood recovery effort for Noosa Council is delivered with assistance provided through the jointly funded Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements, administered by the Queensland Reconstruction Authority.
“We thank the QRA for their assistance in delivering this major reconstruction project, and QRA CEO Major General Jake Ellwood for his ongoing interest and personal support of Noosa Shire,” Cr Stewart said.
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