Flinders Shire Council has created new employment opportunities for unemployed locals after sealing $1.11 million from State Government’s Works for Queensland program.
Seven, new, full time council positions are targeted at previous Aurizon employees who took voluntary redundancies and school leavers; to assist in the rebuild of the Flinders River.
Starting in March and continuing until November, the labor and operator positions will address the lack of drainage and overland flow one kiloemetre along the river bank.
The erosion has caused significant damage to Hughenden properties including backyards and sheds that are slowly slipping away.
Flinders Shire Mayor Jane McNamara, said the affected area started at the back of the golf club through to the town.
“This project is going to be a good engineering feed with low drainage systems coming off the town area and a series of sleepers that will help hold the dirt up,” Ms McNamara said.
“When the river bank was last done about 10 years ago they put mesh down and grassed it but it still hasn’t held it.
“It was something that needed to be done, that we couldn’t due because of our budget so this will make a big difference.”
The river stabilisation project totaled to $1.6 million dollars including another grant and council funds.