Latest news with #communityisolation
ABC News
09-07-2025
- ABC News
Cooper Creek communities still cut off by flood angry over lack of preparation
Two weeks after communities and stations surrounding Cooper Creek were cut off by floodwater, many say they are still isolated. Landholders and tourist operators say it could be another eight months before waters recede from the Birdsville Track, and are calling on the South Australian government to reinstall the barges that have been out of action for the past two years. Andrew Norman, owner of the Mungerannie Hotel, in far-north SA, said the community had known "three or four months" in advance the waters were coming, but the government failed to act. The single-vehicle barge normally operates from just outside Etadunna, enabling the local community to stay connected and the tourist-dependent economy to stay afloat during seasonal flooding. With the barge not operating, Mr Norman said he had lost 80–90 per cent of his annual revenue and was only able to sell fuel. Mr Norman said he was "astounded" by the state government's lack of action, and feared he would need to close his business permanently due to lost revenue and mounting costs. "It went over the Windorah levee at, I think, 8.2 metres, which was a metre higher than the 1974 flood," he said. The previous barge was taken to Maree for servicing by the Department of Infrastructure and Transport two years ago. However, even when the historic barge was operational, graziers like Sharon Oldfield said moving livestock during floods was difficult. Ms Oldfield, who owns and runs Cowrie Station, said wintertime, when flooding tended to occur, was traditionally the peak market season for her property and the roughly nine other stations in the region, which collectively ran about 60,000 head of cattle. "We really do need that transport corridor reinstated via a larger barge or ferry so that we can continue our business," she said. "[If] we can start selling cattle by September … the impact won't be that big. "If this is still going till January … that's going to be quite significant." Ms Oldfield said that there was an "animal welfare aspect" to why pastoralists moved their cattle in winter rather than in the heat of the harsh outback summer. She said a fit-for-purpose ferry would cost around $25 million for purchase, installation, operation and ongoing maintenance. A state government spokesperson said the previous ferry could only run across a maximum of 300 metres due to cable requirements. "SES flood modelling had indicated the crossing point of Cooper Creek over the Birdsville Track would be more than 3 kilometres wide," a spokesperson said. "The community has also expressed significant concerns about the ferry not meeting their needs, with residents indicating they do not support reinstating a ferry that cannot be used to transport livestock across Cooper Creek. "The state government is actively working through all options, including a barge, as flood modelling continues to be updated. "We understand the urgency around dealing with this complex matter, and expect to be able to comment in more detail soon." Though Ms Oldfield said marine engineers had done a lot of work in the background designing a workable ferry, others in the cattle industry were concerned. Channel Country cattle exporter Dalene Wray sources livestock from stations throughout the flood-prone region. Located on the Queensland side of the border, the managing director of OBE Organic said a ferry was impractical as a B-double truck, fully loaded with cattle, weighed roughly 50 tonnes. Instead, Ms Wray said flood events, which were common in the Channel Country, needed to be better managed and planned for. Ms Wray said investments in aviation fuel ISO tanks could be used to quickly move emergency fuel into the regions, while improved roads and more bridges would allow pastoralists to more easily move stock around. "Critical infrastructure is different for people who live in the bush compared to those who live in the city," she said. "At the moment, we've got one bridge over a river, and that bridge has been taken out at Nappa Merrie. "That was put in decades ago — maybe in 2025, we need more." Ms Wray said poor road infrastructure meant that, during flood events, cattle from northern SA could not be moved east. "[We] can't do that because we don't have enough bitumen," she said. "Single-lane bitumen is also not the solution. "During major events like the Birdsville Races and the Big Red Bash … you've got 7,000 caravans heading west and you've got livestock trying to be moved east. "You can't fit a B-double and a Toyota LandCruiser hauling a caravan on the same road — someone's got to move onto the dirt."
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
'Low demand' bus route dropped after three months
An "isolated" community is to lose its first bus to a nearby town in a decade after only three months of operation. The number 68 from Port Clarence to Billingham and the University Hospital of North Tees was introduced on a trial basis in February. However operator Stagecoach announced the service will end after next week's half-term holiday because of low demand. It said it brought in just £12.58 a day and four people per trip, while running costs were in excess of £80 a day. Councillor Katie Weston, Labour member for Billingham South, said she did not blame the company but called for changes to help remote communities access public transport. She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "There's a lot of kids who aren't doing anything after school because they literally can't get back, they rely on the school bus. "And people doing their shopping, going to the doctors, because Billingham is their town centre." After meetings with Stagecoach the service, which had not run for a decade, was brought back on a trial basis. "We thought we'd try and get enough people to use it, then we might be able to build on it and they might be able to put more times in place", Weston said. "The passenger numbers aren't high enough for Stagecoach to be financially viable. "It's a private company that at the very least needs to break even to run that service. "Less than half of the population of Port Clarence has access to a car, so it does leave them very isolated, socially and economically. "What they need is an actual proper regular bus service and, given the current system that we have, it's just not going to happen. A Stagecoach spokesperson said: "This trial was undertaken in good faith and at Stagecoach's commercial risk. "Unfortunately, across the first six weeks of operation, service 68 has carried an average of four people per trip, with a total revenue of £12.58 each day. "Labour costs alone for operating these trips has been around £80 per day - this is before fuel and vehicle costs are factored. "With such low demand, it was determined the trial could not be extended." Follow BBC Tees on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council Stagecoach
