Black Mountain Road rebuild to be a lengthy delicate process

The landslide on Black Mountain Road is the biggest experienced on the Sunshine Coast in 30 years with initial reconstruction costs between $25 and $30 million.

Geotechnical assessments have revealed the damage to be quite extensive with no easy fix.

Council expects the repairs to take about two years, flagging a possible completion date of mid-2024.

“The experts tell us that much of the damage is below the surface and restoring the area is quite complex,” Director of Infrastructure Services Larry Sengstock said.

Residents were given an update at a specially convened information session at Black Mountain Road last Saturday.

Mr Sengstock said final reconstruction costs won’t be known until designs are completed.

“A complex detailed design is required and we will need to engage specialised contractors to carry out the work,“ he said.

“It’s difficult for residents to hear, but this is a significant landslide and we need to be as transparent as possible so they understand the complexities involved.”

Mr Sengstock said the project remains a priority for council and all tenders will be fast-tracked.

“We acknowledge that the landslide has closed off the thoroughfare nature of the Black Mountain Road and we are simply unable to provide any by-pass due to the instability of the land,” he said.

“We are working with the community to minimise the disruption by doing significant works on the Anderson Road causeway and regular grading of the road.”

“Council is liaising with the Queensland Reconstruction Authority who administer disaster recovery funding on behalf of the State Government and they have been very supportive,” he said.

Mayor Clare Stewart assured Black Mountain residents, they will not be forgotten.

“We have dedicated staff to liaise with local residents and we are providing as much information as we can to keep them informed,

“The February weather was unprecedented and Council has been moving as quickly as it can to address issues,” Cr Stewart aid.

“Safety must be paramount and resources are stretched across the entire south-east, so we are facing some real challenges in what can be done,” Cr Stewart said.

Council has produced a video to help explain the complexities of the reconstruction. A dedicated Black Mountain webpage has been developed to provide detailed information on the landslide. Council has established a Flood Recovery 2022 section on the website, which provides an overview of the extent of work required to rebuild nearly 100 roads, culverts and deal with 24 landslips.