Overview
Summary
Douglas Shire Council has secured funding to continue to upgrade the kerb and drainage on Warner and Mowbray Streets in Port Douglas.
The project will be completed as part of the 2023/2024 Capital Works Budget. The project budget is $900,000 (exclusive of GST) and is grant funded with a contribution from Council.
This project will increase the capacity of the drainage network and enhance stormwater run-off by improving the efficiency of the system. It will include the construction of new stormwater culverts and pits, layback kerb & channel and barrier kerb & channel along the southern side of Warner Street (similar to what is on the northern side of Warner). There will also be new stormwater pipes and pits installed on Mowbray Street.
A new stormwater pipe will be installed under Warner Street, from the northern to the southern side and then under the road side, to connect with existing pipes in Owen Street.
Project Updates
April 2024
The ongoing rainfall delayed the final works. Contractors returned to site during the month of March and are making progress with the outstanding works.
Progress update for Warner St Drainage Upgrades includes:
- Kerb and Pavement reinstatement on Mowbray St completed.
- Barrier kerb and channel in front of Port Douglas Backpackers (Warner St) completed.
- Port Douglas Backpackers access crossover and driveway completed.
- Port Douglas Mechanics access crossover and driveway completed.
- Layback kerb between backpacker and mechanics completed.
Works Scheduled to be completed during the month of April 2024:
- Asphalt reinstatement on Mowbray St.
- Site cleanup and housekeeping.
- Reinstate driveway gravel and asphalt works on Warner St
- New Culvert installation on Warner St Road.
August 2023
Construction commenced.
July 2023
Construction contract awarded to Northern Civil Earthworks trading as Terranovus Civil.
NOVEMBER, 2022
Improvements to stormwater catchment drainage works are are underway.
March, 2021
A commencement date for work on the southern side of Warner Street, between Port Douglas Backpackers and Owen Street will be known at the end of this month, but weather permitting, the following upgrades will be completed before 30 June 2021.
- Provision of subsoil drainage
- Modification of access crossovers as required
- Crossover at Port Douglas Automotive
- Additional grated kerb inlet pits where kerb renewal installed at minimum grades
- Renewal and reconfiguration of local drainage pipes and connection locations to trunk drainage network
- Upgrading of pipes at the rear of 23 Warner Street to alleviate flooding
Future works – 2021/22
- Street lighting with underground power to light pathway and road way
AUGUST, 2020
With stage one works on the north side of Warner Street now completed, work will commence on the southern side.
Between Port Douglas Backpackers through to Owen Street, the following work is scheduled for completion by December 2020, weather permitting.
- Provision of subsoil drainage
- Modification of access crossovers as required
- Crossover at Port Douglas Automotive
- Additional grated kerb inlet pits where kerb renewal installed at minimum grades
- Renewal and reconfiguration of local drainage pipes and connection locations to trunk drainage network
- Upgrading of pipes at the rear of 23 Warner Street to alleviate flooding
JUNE, 2020
- Removal of existing kerb and excavation to level area
- Installation of kerbing
- Finalisation of drainage infrastructure – inlet pits and Palm Villas driveway
- Raising the height of the existing paved sections of pathway at either end to match in with the level of the new pathway. Contractors will liaise directly with businesses to ensure access during works.
- Installation of concrete pathway along northern side of Warner Street\
- Residents will need to park their cars on road for two days to allow concrete to cure. Dates will be confirmed with residents a few days prior.
- Turf laid between pathway and road pavement
MAY, 2020
Douglas Shire Council resolved to transfer $100,000 in capital works project savings towards finishing the footpath between Grant Street and Owen Street. The final stage is expected to be finished by July this year. More details here.
FEBRUARY, 2020
After six months work, all the Rosewood trees are in good health and there’s been no minor flooding during recent heavy rains. Work completed thus far includes:
- Removal of invasive weeds on the northern side of the street to prevent them being inadvertently spread during construction.
- Pruning of Rosewood trees to remove dead wood and improve health
- Installation of sub soil drainage infrastructure on the northern side of Warner street
- Extension of drainage network under Warner Street
- Clearing of vegetation along the new footpath alignment
OCTOBER, 2019
The Rosewood trees are looking fantastic and even the three poisoned trees appear to be recovering (see below photo).
Tree trimming in June removed dead wood and the absence of stagnant water laying on the roots has contributed to their current good health.
The road will be closed from 4 to 22 November, 2019, including weekends, so that Council crews can install two new culvert crossings. The section of Warner Street between Owen and Grant Streets will be open to local traffic only (no through road) during these dates.
Council apologises for any inconvenience.
SEPTEMBER, 2019
Council is doing everything it can to save the illegally poisoned trees on Warner Street, including daily watering, mulching and fertilising to improve their health.
Council will continue to closely monitor their health and work towards saving the rosewood trees.
The next few weeks will be crucial in determining if the poisoned trees will recover, as new growth flushes will occur following their yearly deciduous leaf drop.
AUGUST, 2019
Council crews have commenced the upgrade of Warner Street, a project likely to take three to four months, with completion well before Christmas this year.
A full scope of work including suggested time frames, traffic changes, information on the approach to kerbs, guttering and drainage and how the Rosewood trees have been considered, please read the full update, here.
Community Consultation
To participate, click on the project or activity you are interested in
Formal consultation has now closed, for any further feedback please contact Gaye Scott on 0418 793 009 or gaye.scott@douglas.qld.gov.au.
[CLICK HERE] to view details of past consultation
In the News
- Warner Street Update – August Update – 15 August, 2019
- Budget A Win For Port Douglas – 25 June, 2019
- Warner Street Upgrade – Works Start June 17 – 13 June, 2019
- Warner Street Upgrade Out For Consultation – 7 September, 2018
- Design Of Warner Street Upgrade Underway – 20 February, 2018
Additional Information
PRELIMINARY WORKS
Preliminary work included two main activities.
The first involved removing invasive weeds on the northern side of the street. These weeds, including Singapore Daisy and Leucaena, could be inadvertently spread during construction so will be removed. Some are in garden beds on private property and in a few places, they’ve spread to the road reserve. In all instances, we will liaise with property owners or their agent before work starts. As advised at the workshop, all property owners with plants and/or gardens on the front boundary understand and support removal of gardens to allow for the pathway.
The second activity will be maintenance of the Rosewood Trees. Under the advice of our arborist Jim Scott, the trees will be pruned of dead wood. This will assist with their health, but importantly will reduce the occurrence of dead branches falling randomly on the nature strip and/or road. If required, there will also be crown lifting which is where the low branches overhanging the road are removed to provide sufficient clearance for vehicles to travel safely along Warner Street. This pruning will improve the health of the trees, reduce leaf production without impacting amenity.
Council’s overarching approach in Warner Street is to treat the Rosewood trees as an asset.
This is both during construction, and on an ongoing basis. The upgrade works will not require the removal of any Rosewood trees.
SPECIFICS OF THE WARNER STREET SOFT APPROACH
- New pathway on the northern side of Warner Street
- Repaving on both northern side shop frontages to align with new shared pathway
- Provision of subsoil drainage
- Provision of individual property gully inlet pits to be connected to new layback kerb and channel and subsoil drain
- Modification of access crossovers as required;
- Additional grated kerb inlet pits where kerb renewal installed at minimum grades
- Street lighting with underground power to light pathway and road way
- New water supply main and property connections on the northern side
- Renewal and reconfiguration of local drainage pipes and connection locations to trunk drainage network.
Pathway
- The concrete path on the northern side of Warner Street will be two metres wide and will be a shared pathway to serve both pedestrians and cyclists.
- The path will run the length of Warner Street, connecting to existing paved pathways at either end of the street.
- Several properties have garden beds and/or trees close to their front property boundary. Where the proposed works will affect vegetation on private property, Council has spoken to individual landowners and gained agreement from everyone.
- A few of these front garden beds contain invasive weeds including Singapore Daisy. Prior to work commencing, Council crews will remove these weeds to prevent spreading.
Street Lighting
- Power for street lighting will be underground.
- Lighting will illuminate the road as well as the pathway taking the canopy of the Rosewoods into consideration.
ROSEWOOD TREE MAINTENANCE
To minimise this and assist in keeping the trees in good health, Council will implement a maintenance program designed for this species, in the urban environment. It has been designed by the arborist and will include as a minimum:
- Formative pruning from establishment in order to ensure a structurally sound form and enable a long Safe Useful Life Expectancy.
- Periodic crown lifting for general asset and amenity clearances – i.e. lower branches removed from over the road to prevent contact with vehicles.
- Periodic removal of significant deadwood (recommended six monthly). Feedback from residents and traders indicate it is not uncommon for branches to fall from the Rosewood trees and this will reduce occurrence of falling branches.
For a few trees on the northern side, the surface roots may need to be cut to accommodate either the pathway or sub soil drainage. The pathway will be positioned abutting property boundaries so as to allow the maximum distance from the trees.
When this is necessary, as per advice from our arborist Jim Scott, steps will be taken to ensure the tree has the best chance of survival. These include:
- A clean, straight cut is recommended as this will minimise the area of exposed root.
- The cut will be “painted” with a substance to prevent tree root pathogens
- The tree may be pruned to compensate as advised by the arborist on the project team.
DELIVERY OF THE PROJECT
Council will project manage the upgrade and council crews will do most of the work, with specialist subcontractors brought in as required.
During construction, work crews will liaise with individual residents with regard to timing of works. This will ensure any interruptions to access and egress from properties pre-planned to minimise inconvenience.
Enquiries
For more information or if you have any questions, please contact Council on 07 4099 9444 or email enquiries@douglas.qld.gov.au
