Boonah Rathdowney Road upgrades on Council's hit list
An upgrade to the Boonah Rathdowney Road is one of ten key issues Council is raising with local candidates and political parties in the lead up to this month's State General Election.
Scenic Rim Mayor Greg Christensen said the state-controlled road is in desperate need of a significant upgrade to support safety for all users.
"The road is used as a vital connector for agriculture, tourism, and community service access within the region and needs to be restored to a reasonable service level," he said.
"Boonah Rathdowney Road, and in particular the section between Maroon and Rathdowney, is well overdue for both an upgrade, and commitment to ongoing maintenance."
Scenic Rim Tourism Advisory Committee member and long-term local Pam Hardgrave said the road infrastructure wasn't designed for its current usage and posed safety risks for local school children.
"As tourism in the region has grown in recent years, the traffic on the road has increased exponentially," she said.
"This means that road infrastructure, which was designed for light local traffic purposes, is no longer adequate for the current usage.
"The road in its current state constitutes a safety hazard with two single lane bridges, creating an increased potential for road accidents and fatalities.
"It is also a high risk area for the children attending the Maroon State School who travel to Rathdowney for swimming lessons in the summer months."
Cr Christensen said Council was not only advocating for the upgrade, but also a commitment to its ongoing maintenance.
"We are asking for a commitment to an eight metre width of bitumen sealing by 2024 and then an increase in the Queensland Government's ongoing maintenance to ensure service levels across the full corridor are maintained," he said.
"Restoring a reasonable service level to the bitumen and ongoing maintenance will support safe use, and will also contribute to better overall service life for this arterial.
"The bushfire events around Mount Barney last year emphasised the critical role this corridor needs to play in facilitating community safety under emergency conditions with heavy vehicles and equipment needing to rapidly deploy."
The Boonah Rathdowney Road upgrade is one of 10 key issues outlined in the Scenic Rim’s Ten Point Advocacy Plan for which Council is seeking support from political parties and local candidates in the lead-up to the October 2020 Queensland state election.
"We are asking for the Queensland Government to commit to 10 key priority areas to show Scenic Rim residents that they matter just as much as their urban neighbours,” Cr Christensen said.
"We need our local candidates and major political parties to support these issues that affect the lives of our residents and the future of local businesses."
The Ten Point Plan is available on Council's website www.scenicrim.qld.gov.au/our-council/administration/advocacy
Image: Scenic Rim Tourism Advisory Committee member and long-term local, Pam Hardgrave, wants to see commitment from the Queensland Government to upgrade Boonah Rathdowney Road.