1
00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,000
Speaker 1: As we know, we are just days out from Easter

2
00:00:02,080 --> 00:00:05,159
Speaker 1: and some territories likely to be hitting the roads for holidays,

3
00:00:05,240 --> 00:00:09,559
Speaker 1: but after the monsoonal rain and the tropical cyclone, some

4
00:00:09,640 --> 00:00:12,680
Speaker 1: of those roads have been cut off or significantly damaged.

5
00:00:12,720 --> 00:00:14,120
Speaker 1: Now joining us on the line for a bit of

6
00:00:14,120 --> 00:00:17,720
Speaker 1: an update on the situation is project director of Civil

7
00:00:17,840 --> 00:00:21,840
Speaker 1: Asset Management with DIPPLE, Shane Tepper. Good morning to you, Shane.

8
00:00:22,800 --> 00:00:23,640
Speaker 2: Good morning Katie.

9
00:00:23,760 --> 00:00:26,840
Speaker 1: Thanks so much for your time this morning. Shane. How

10
00:00:26,880 --> 00:00:29,640
Speaker 1: are those major highways looking at this point? Are any

11
00:00:29,640 --> 00:00:30,760
Speaker 1: of them still closed?

12
00:00:32,479 --> 00:00:34,839
Speaker 2: Yeah? We currently have a closure on the Berkeley Highway

13
00:00:34,880 --> 00:00:38,600
Speaker 2: between Stuart Highway and the Tablelands Highway. There is some

14
00:00:38,720 --> 00:00:42,440
Speaker 2: significant flooding of the number of PreK crossings and some

15
00:00:42,479 --> 00:00:47,440
Speaker 2: pavement and sealed damage within that section. So that section

16
00:00:47,520 --> 00:00:50,240
Speaker 2: of road is actually being assessed this morning and as

17
00:00:50,240 --> 00:00:53,080
Speaker 2: soon as the water levels have dropped sufficiently, will be

18
00:00:53,120 --> 00:00:55,760
Speaker 2: commencing repairs with a view to getting that road open

19
00:00:55,800 --> 00:00:56,680
Speaker 2: as soon as possible.

20
00:00:57,640 --> 00:01:00,640
Speaker 1: Yeah. Right, So expecting it to drop significantly this morning,

21
00:01:00,680 --> 00:01:01,440
Speaker 1: did you say.

22
00:01:03,160 --> 00:01:06,160
Speaker 2: Not necessarily. There's still some water flowing down from the

23
00:01:06,200 --> 00:01:09,440
Speaker 2: north from the rainfall across the road of Gulf at

24
00:01:09,440 --> 00:01:12,600
Speaker 2: the last week, so it could be still sometime before

25
00:01:12,600 --> 00:01:13,679
Speaker 2: those water levels drop.

26
00:01:14,040 --> 00:01:16,360
Speaker 1: Yeah right there. I mean there's been so much rain

27
00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:18,400
Speaker 1: and I know that by the look of at the

28
00:01:18,440 --> 00:01:21,320
Speaker 1: Barkley region has been hit pretty hard. What about up

29
00:01:21,360 --> 00:01:23,080
Speaker 1: here in the top end, how are the different roads

30
00:01:23,080 --> 00:01:23,880
Speaker 1: looking up here?

31
00:01:25,120 --> 00:01:27,520
Speaker 2: Look, we're fearing a bit better across the top end

32
00:01:28,240 --> 00:01:31,959
Speaker 2: tress of the Stuart Highway, so that's currently open, although

33
00:01:31,959 --> 00:01:34,000
Speaker 2: we do have water across the road at a number

34
00:01:34,040 --> 00:01:34,840
Speaker 2: of locations.

35
00:01:35,080 --> 00:01:35,280
Speaker 1: Yep.

36
00:01:36,120 --> 00:01:39,520
Speaker 2: We've got a high clearance oil drive restriction currently north

37
00:01:39,520 --> 00:01:43,800
Speaker 2: of TenneT Creek between Philip Creek Bridge and TenneT Creek Bridge,

38
00:01:44,120 --> 00:01:45,880
Speaker 2: and we do have a number of lane closures with

39
00:01:45,959 --> 00:01:50,560
Speaker 2: traffic management in place whilst undertake repairs. And some of

40
00:01:50,600 --> 00:01:55,120
Speaker 2: the other highways across the top end Jannum Highlights currently open.

41
00:01:55,520 --> 00:01:58,480
Speaker 2: There is water across the road a few locations, but

42
00:01:59,680 --> 00:02:03,720
Speaker 2: big are able to travel on that road. The Takado

43
00:02:03,760 --> 00:02:08,359
Speaker 2: Highway and Litchfield Park Road are opening without restrictions currently YEA,

44
00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:15,120
Speaker 2: and the Daily River Roads are the River heights dropping

45
00:02:15,160 --> 00:02:18,520
Speaker 2: there currently, so we're currently undertaking assessments of that this

46
00:02:18,639 --> 00:02:22,600
Speaker 2: morning to the view to potentially open Daily River Road

47
00:02:22,760 --> 00:02:24,079
Speaker 2: within the next Dale to.

48
00:02:24,320 --> 00:02:27,680
Speaker 1: Yeah, right, and then we know that there's been a

49
00:02:27,840 --> 00:02:30,960
Speaker 1: heap of rain in Central Australia as well over the weekend.

50
00:02:31,240 --> 00:02:33,040
Speaker 1: How are things going in Central Australia.

51
00:02:34,800 --> 00:02:37,480
Speaker 2: Look, we've got a number of road closures and restrictions

52
00:02:37,480 --> 00:02:40,920
Speaker 2: across Central Australia. So look, most of the major roads

53
00:02:40,960 --> 00:02:45,280
Speaker 2: are currently closed during possible so we've got it impassable

54
00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:51,000
Speaker 2: on Panamai Road. Twenty highways currently closed, Namagera Drives closed,

55
00:02:51,960 --> 00:02:56,720
Speaker 2: the Tablewinds Highways closed and various community access roads are

56
00:02:56,720 --> 00:02:57,480
Speaker 2: closed as well.

57
00:02:58,480 --> 00:03:01,680
Speaker 1: We we've a lot of roads closed at the moment,

58
00:03:01,720 --> 00:03:03,560
Speaker 1: as you expect, I suppose at this time of the

59
00:03:03,639 --> 00:03:05,360
Speaker 1: year as well, don't you, Shane, like when you have

60
00:03:05,480 --> 00:03:08,000
Speaker 1: such a huge amount of rain that's that's come down

61
00:03:08,040 --> 00:03:09,400
Speaker 1: over the last couple of weeks.

62
00:03:10,600 --> 00:03:14,760
Speaker 2: Yeah, look, it is typical for the given web season,

63
00:03:14,840 --> 00:03:18,120
Speaker 2: but well this year has they even been unprecedented in

64
00:03:18,200 --> 00:03:21,560
Speaker 2: terms of how many weather events that have had consecutively.

65
00:03:22,800 --> 00:03:25,600
Speaker 1: When you talk about then you know freight movements, are

66
00:03:25,600 --> 00:03:28,480
Speaker 1: there any issues of concern at the moment, you know

67
00:03:28,520 --> 00:03:30,240
Speaker 1: when it comes to freight.

68
00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:34,639
Speaker 2: Ah, well, certainly with the Barkeley Highway closure at the moment,

69
00:03:34,720 --> 00:03:40,280
Speaker 2: So anything coming through via Queens lanes. Would the wait

70
00:03:40,360 --> 00:03:44,000
Speaker 2: till we reopen that section or take a longer route

71
00:03:43,880 --> 00:03:48,760
Speaker 2: get across the and also issues in terms of getting

72
00:03:49,040 --> 00:03:52,320
Speaker 2: out for the communities as well for those roads that

73
00:03:52,360 --> 00:03:56,640
Speaker 2: are currently impassible. But we will as we are able

74
00:03:56,680 --> 00:04:00,040
Speaker 2: to reopen the roads, we will prioritize the critical freight movement.

75
00:04:01,160 --> 00:04:04,120
Speaker 1: And with I know you touched on this right at

76
00:04:04,120 --> 00:04:07,160
Speaker 1: the start of the interview. You know, once water recedes

77
00:04:07,200 --> 00:04:10,000
Speaker 1: in different areas, it does mean that then Dipple's able

78
00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:11,440
Speaker 1: to get in there and get some of the work

79
00:04:11,480 --> 00:04:14,800
Speaker 1: done on those roads. How extensive are you expecting that

80
00:04:14,800 --> 00:04:16,040
Speaker 1: some of that damage might be.

81
00:04:18,120 --> 00:04:20,720
Speaker 2: Look, we're already aware of some very significant damage, and

82
00:04:20,839 --> 00:04:25,159
Speaker 2: particularly highways. We've lost a lot of shoulder material and

83
00:04:25,279 --> 00:04:28,800
Speaker 2: pavement material. You know, a lot of the approaches that

84
00:04:29,360 --> 00:04:34,560
Speaker 2: were increased crossings have scoured out. So we'll be undertaking

85
00:04:34,640 --> 00:04:38,200
Speaker 2: repairs over the next several weeks and months.

86
00:04:39,360 --> 00:04:40,960
Speaker 1: I know one of the things that people get in

87
00:04:40,960 --> 00:04:43,560
Speaker 1: contact with us at different times about is you know,

88
00:04:43,600 --> 00:04:46,520
Speaker 1: the massive potholes and in some of the areas where

89
00:04:46,800 --> 00:04:49,280
Speaker 1: the road may be opened, but it clearly has been

90
00:04:49,360 --> 00:04:53,039
Speaker 1: damaged by by that wet weather. How like, how do

91
00:04:53,080 --> 00:04:56,560
Speaker 1: you go about the assessment process because you know, presumably

92
00:04:56,600 --> 00:05:00,240
Speaker 1: there's kilometers upon kilometers of area that you've got to

93
00:05:00,240 --> 00:05:01,520
Speaker 1: cover and check on.

94
00:05:03,080 --> 00:05:05,919
Speaker 2: Yeah, look, that's correct. So we have inspection contractors that

95
00:05:05,960 --> 00:05:10,479
Speaker 2: are undertaking regular inspections. But where we do have these

96
00:05:10,520 --> 00:05:13,440
Speaker 2: monsoon conditions, we can get sort of pavement failures and

97
00:05:13,480 --> 00:05:17,800
Speaker 2: potholes developed extremely rapidly and really before we've got a

98
00:05:17,880 --> 00:05:21,919
Speaker 2: chance to identify them all. So we do encourage the

99
00:05:21,920 --> 00:05:26,240
Speaker 2: public to report any potholes or other pavement failures or

100
00:05:26,240 --> 00:05:29,159
Speaker 2: payment issues, and that can be done through the Rague

101
00:05:29,160 --> 00:05:30,599
Speaker 2: Report Entity website. Report of.

102
00:05:32,320 --> 00:05:35,000
Speaker 1: Good advice. Hey tell me, I mean for anybody that

103
00:05:35,160 --> 00:05:38,440
Speaker 1: is planning on heading out or going on a troop

104
00:05:38,520 --> 00:05:41,520
Speaker 1: over this east a long weekend, what is your advice

105
00:05:41,560 --> 00:05:44,360
Speaker 1: for them, Shane? You know, how should they go about

106
00:05:44,400 --> 00:05:47,039
Speaker 1: checking that the roads are all good to actually travel on.

107
00:05:48,680 --> 00:05:52,080
Speaker 2: Look, regularly check the Rague Report Enterty website, so as

108
00:05:52,120 --> 00:05:55,880
Speaker 2: conditions change, we're regularly updating that information. So that should

109
00:05:55,880 --> 00:05:57,800
Speaker 2: be the point of truth to check before we travel.

110
00:05:58,200 --> 00:06:01,040
Speaker 1: Yeah, good advice and very easy to jump on there.

111
00:06:01,080 --> 00:06:04,440
Speaker 1: And to avoid getting yourself into a difficult situation if

112
00:06:04,480 --> 00:06:06,520
Speaker 1: a road is closed or if there's damage somewhere that

113
00:06:06,560 --> 00:06:10,040
Speaker 1: you're unaware of, so it is very good advice. Shane Tepper,

114
00:06:10,200 --> 00:06:13,799
Speaker 1: who is indeed Dipple Project director and Civil Asset Management,

115
00:06:14,120 --> 00:06:16,000
Speaker 1: thank you so very much for your time today.

116
00:06:17,040 --> 00:06:18,279
Speaker 2: Thanks very much, thank you,