A group of residents in a hinterland suburb are calling for urgent upgrades to a 2.2km unsealed road they claim has been “ignored” by a local council.
During a deputation at Noosa Council’s ordinary meeting in August, Cooroy Mountain’s Andrew Taylor spoke on behalf of residents of Cooroy Mountain Road.
The narrow, winding road connects residents to Tinbeerwah or Cooroy and is used by motorists, trucks, cyclists and horse riders daily.
But Mr Taylor said the 100km/h dirt road was not compliant with modern standards and it was only a matter of time before a serious accident occurred.
“We are here because our road isn’t safe,” Mr Taylor said during the deputation.
“Despite years of these issues, we have been told by many council representatives that our road isn’t a priority.”
He said the road was approved for an upgrade in 2013, under the then-amalgamated Sunshine Coast Regional Council, but it never came to fruition.
“Since that time 12 years ago, traffic conditions have obviously substantially increased,” he said.
“From 2013 to present, under the Noosa Council, our road has been totally ignored with absolutely no funding provided for gravel road upgrading.
“There has been a change in the population and usage of this road since 2013.”
Mr Taylor said the road was steep, narrow and winding, with loose gravel, blind corners and erosion from rain, and it also created dust pollution.
“This is not just a minor inconvenience, this is a dangerous road that has been overlooked for far too long,” he said.
Want more free local news? Follow Sunshine Coast News on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram, and sign up for our FREE daily news email.
The residents have engaged engineers and commissioned an independent report highlighting the current state of the road and its deficiencies, plus cost-effective solutions to make the road compliant.
Mr Taylor said the report found the road failed to meet modern safety and design standards and the requirements of the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia’s (IPWEA) assessment guidelines.
“When a community has to fund its own engineering report just to be heard, something is seriously wrong,” he said.
“Each journey carries unnecessary risk. We fear it is only a matter of time before we face the preventable tragedy of a serious accident.”
Noosa Council director of infrastructure Shaun Walsh said council was investigating options for further budget and program consideration.
“Council has met with Andy Taylor to discuss his deputation about Cooroy Mountain Road and we will be presenting options for further council consideration,” he said.
