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| Ipswich Motorway Goodna during January 2011 flood. |
FLOOD and cyclone reconstruction chief Dick Wilson is adamant Queensland authorities still rebuilding after the "summer of sorrow" will not sacrifice value for money in the challenge to finish the projects.
The Queensland Reconstruction Authority has overseen $12.2bn in recovery funding -- partially funded by last year's one-off flood levy -- to rebuild after the widespread floods and Cyclone Yasi two years ago.
More than 10,000 projects remain on-going across the state.
Major-General Wilson said the authority honed in on cost efficiency following public concern about the value of some elements of the Rudd government's home-insulation scheme and the Building the Education Revolution program.
"Our approach was a test for value for money," Major-General Wilson said. "As a result of the pink batts and BER and public concern about the value for money being delivered we have to have a focus on that."
About $6.6bn in projects have delivered repairs to all council areas across the state from the floods and cyclones.
Another $4.5bn in works are under way or out to tender.
Of more than 7000km of roads to be rebuilt, about half were done three months ago. Major-General Wilson said there were hundreds of minor projects and major works to come, including the $57m Cunningham's Gap upgrade in Toowoomba and the $38m reconstruction of the Yasi-damaged foreshore in Cardwell.
Mayor Bill Shannon said locals' lives and properties had not bounced back entirely, nearly two years on from the monster storm.
"(Yasi) is not people's distant memory," Mr Shannon said. "The rebuild was never going to take only 12 months."
Dominic Mobbs, 55, and his wife Judith Bowman, 54, were two of the 1100 left homeless in the immediate wake of the category-5 cyclone, which tore through north Queensland just after midnight on February 3.
The couple had lived in their rainforest-surrounded home at Wongaling Beach for 20 years, and the tempest made landfall right on top of them.
The 250km/h-plus winds uprooted a giant tree and sent it crashing through their kitchen, tearing the home in two.
Nearly two years on, they are about to move into their fully rebuilt home -- after insurance and building delays dragged on.
"We hope we'll be back in next Friday," Mr Mobbs said.
"Frustrating would be an understatement," Mr Mobbs said of the two-year ordeal.
The Queensland Reconstruction Authority has overseen $12.2bn in recovery funding -- partially funded by last year's one-off flood levy -- to rebuild after the widespread floods and Cyclone Yasi two years ago.
More than 10,000 projects remain on-going across the state.
Major-General Wilson said the authority honed in on cost efficiency following public concern about the value of some elements of the Rudd government's home-insulation scheme and the Building the Education Revolution program.
"Our approach was a test for value for money," Major-General Wilson said. "As a result of the pink batts and BER and public concern about the value for money being delivered we have to have a focus on that."
About $6.6bn in projects have delivered repairs to all council areas across the state from the floods and cyclones.
Another $4.5bn in works are under way or out to tender.
Of more than 7000km of roads to be rebuilt, about half were done three months ago. Major-General Wilson said there were hundreds of minor projects and major works to come, including the $57m Cunningham's Gap upgrade in Toowoomba and the $38m reconstruction of the Yasi-damaged foreshore in Cardwell.
Mayor Bill Shannon said locals' lives and properties had not bounced back entirely, nearly two years on from the monster storm.
"(Yasi) is not people's distant memory," Mr Shannon said. "The rebuild was never going to take only 12 months."
Dominic Mobbs, 55, and his wife Judith Bowman, 54, were two of the 1100 left homeless in the immediate wake of the category-5 cyclone, which tore through north Queensland just after midnight on February 3.
The couple had lived in their rainforest-surrounded home at Wongaling Beach for 20 years, and the tempest made landfall right on top of them.
The 250km/h-plus winds uprooted a giant tree and sent it crashing through their kitchen, tearing the home in two.
Nearly two years on, they are about to move into their fully rebuilt home -- after insurance and building delays dragged on.
"We hope we'll be back in next Friday," Mr Mobbs said.
"Frustrating would be an understatement," Mr Mobbs said of the two-year ordeal.
www.TheAustralian.com.au
11.1.13
