An artist’s depiction of how the Murrimboola Creek and surrounding grounds may look if there was any money to actually construct it. The July Hilltops Council Business Paper states that the below table represents “A very preliminary cost estimate for Councils information on major items identified in the Master Plan.”
Hilltops Council resolved at the March 2019 meeting to adopt The Murrumburrah Precinct Plan, and to have reported back to a future meeting what works can be achieved for the current funds available. It appears not a lot. Sala4d which appears to be Council’s consultant of choice have provided a list of costings. It would be nice if Hilltops Council provided to the ratepayers of Hilltops the cost of the engagement of Consultants by Hilltops Council since the merger commenced. Yet to happen. According to the business paper Stage 1 A involves all works required to deliver the creek rehabilitation. This includes: ‐ the excavation and reshaping of banks and established tree removal; ‐ removal of redundant stormwater infrastructures (stormwater and gabion drop structures); ‐ installation of water level lifting/fish passage structures; ‐ construction of ephemeral creek; ‐ installation of stormwater pipe extensions; ‐ installation of beach area, ramp and retaining walls; ‐ planting to creek banks with grasses and riparian vegetation; ‐ stabilisation grass cover to all disturbed soil. ‐ Substage provisional estimate of cost $ 816,130.
Then stage 1 has another stage. Stage 1B. The Stage 1B stage provides; ‐ shared paths and creek crossings; ‐ the final fish passage through the existing Neill Street causeway; ‐ lighting to all paths; ‐ the Youth Zone walls and ground surface; ‐ seats, seating platforms, garbage bins, signage; ‐ artwork and entrance sculptures; and, ‐ periphery presentation planting, tree planting and final lawn areas. ‐ Substage provisional estimate of cost $ 574,750. It is abundantly clear, based on the table that there isn’t any funding available for stages, 2,3,4,5,6 and 7. Funnily enough, Stage 8 titled Bill The Bastard ‘Statue Works’ $295,000 already looks to have been fulfilled.
The Risk implications according to the paper include, Not securing all project funding, stalling the project/s, Additional construction costs identified as a result of the detailed design phase and / or in construction phase. Additional costs associated with any unforeseen underground items like telecommunications assets, asbestos, disused underground fuel storage or historically significant items. As is mandatory, the Local Aboriginal Land Council will need to be consulted with respect to the proposed creek works in detail. This is envisaged to be done before works are executed. Some may say the project is sinking and some would say the project is dead in the water.
