Contract awarded to replace Ross River pontoons

Four pontoons that were irreparably damaged during the 2019 monsoon event in Townsville will now be replaced by local company CivilPlus Constructions.

CivilPlus Constructions was awarded a $700,000 contract to replace the pontoons at Rossiter Park, Framara Park and Apex Park.

Deputy Mayor and Infrastructure Committee chairperson, Councillor Mark Molachino, said the new pontoons were designed to be especially hardy.

“Council engaged consultants last year to do geotechnical investigations and surveys at the pontoon sites,” Cr Molachino said.

“These surveys were done to make sure the replacement pontoons will be able to withstand major weather events in the future. They will be resilient in the case of another extreme monsoon event, cyclones, and other extreme weather.”

Sport and Recreation Committee chairperson and division eight representative, Councillor Maurie Soars, said the pontoons would benefit many different community groups.

“We have lots of sporting groups here in Townsville who take advantage of our natural waterways, and they were part of the consulting process for these new pontoons,” Cr Soars said.

“Being able to put more resilient pontoons onto the Ross River is a great step towards bringing the community back together for exercise and plenty of fresh air.”

Council has secured joint funding from the Commonwealth and Queensland Governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA) to replace the pontoons.

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