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Last Updated: Friday, 19 January 2024 09:39

Published: Wednesday, 08 December 2021 04:22

Rehabilitation of the Bridge Street Quarry is one step closer following a recommendation from Toowoomba Regional Council’s (TRC) Infrastructure Committee to move to a detailed design stage.

At the Committee Meeting on 7 December, TRC Infrastructure Committee Chair Cr Carol Taylor said Council had narrowed six strategies down to two for further progression.

“This could be a tourist attraction that brings in visitors from all across Australia and internationally but before we get it to that point we need to rehabilitate the site,” Cr Taylor said.

“The first step was initial safety works, including new fencing, and this has been followed by Council undertaking geotechnical investigations and design works for the rehabilitation of the site.

“As we’ve undertaken these investigations, we’ve also engaged with an external consultant to develop a Rehabilitation Strategy Report.

“In the Report, strategy four seeks to remove and address instability and risk areas associated with the Central Bench and associated faces by reducing the height of the central bench, to provide a flat even platform to allow for potential future development as appropriate. Material from this will be used to reprofile the Central Bench eastern face.

“Strategy one considers the ‘path of least resistance’ to making the site stable, however, still requires significant material to be hauled into site. This strategy maintains the site in its current landform and focuses on installation of management techniques such as bunding and fencing.”

Chair of the Bridge Street Quarry Advisory Committee Cr Kerry Shine said the decision to progress with these two strategies had the full backing of the advisory committee.

“There is tremendous potential in the Bridge Street Quarry,” Cr Shine said.

“The Report included a number of strategies for rehabilitating the site and we’re keen to explore two of these strategies further as we move forward.

“I’d like to thank all the members of the Bridge Street Quarry Advisory Committee who have played an active role in getting us to this point so far and were also in favour of Council progressing with these two strategies.

“If approved at the Ordinary Meeting of Council next week, we’re expecting to receive the detailed design of the preferred rehabilitation strategies before 31 March next year, as this will provide us with time to consider the funding requirements for the 2022-23 Budget.”