General News
15 January, 2025
Cloncurry awarded $5.9 million for major upgrade of Scarr Street
More shade and a major revitalisation of the CBD will be key features of the development.
Cloncurry mayor Greg Campbell says he would have liked to have driven to Mount Isa to shake Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s hand after his council was awarded almost $6 million in federal funds for a major project.
“I got wind that he was flying in and I tried to make a time to meet him, mostly because it would have been nice to say thank you for the funding,” Cr Campbell said.
“Unfortunately we couldn’t get anything lined up, but we are grateful, nonetheless.”
Cloncurry Shire Council was awarded $5.99 million for the Scarr Street Revitalisation Project under the federal government’s Growing Regions Program, which provides funding of between $500,000 and $15 million to local government entities and incorporated not-for-profit organisations for community infrastructure projects.
“It’s a major project for us,” Cr Campbell said.
“Scarr Street is the busiest council-controlled road in the shire – most people would know it as the street that has the bakery on it.”
Using the federal grant and a chunk of its own money, the Scarr Street Revitalisation Project will see an overhaul of the CBD and provide much-needed shade for vehicles and pedestrians.
Power lines will also be shifted underground, while a new roundabout will be added at the intersection of Scarr and King streets, improving motorist safety.
Cr Campbell said the project would likely start later this year, but may not be completed until 2026.
“As time goes on, every project is only getting dearer, so we need to get on with it ... it has been in planning for a long time,” he said.
“It’s going to be a great boost for the community – the mains, drainage and bitumen in that part of town has just about reached the end of its life.
“One of the key commitments I have made in council is to maintain the assets that we’ve got and this will be a big part of that.”
The mayor said reducing the disruption to businesses in the CBD would be the council’s biggest challenge.
“We’ll work with those businesses and do the best we can to make sure we aren’t impacting on their operations,” he said.
“We know we’ll have to disrupt activity in that street to get the job done, so what we’ve done is make sure that the finished project is a whole lot more inviting. There will be direct consultation with those businesses.”
Undercover parking, with solar panels on top, plus a lot more trees, will benefit locals and visitors.
“We’ll work closely with Ergon as they move power underground, which will help us put more trees in the street,” the mayor said.
“We’re in the final stages of the final design and once that’s done we’ll be able to put work out to tender and start ordering some of the items that have a long lead time.”