The Monaro Street closure will be extended, but there’s hope the route will reopen before Christmas. Photo: Kim Treasure.
Queanbeyan’s traffic pain is set to continue, with the discovery of a century-old stormwater drain blowing out the timeline and cost of a major CBD upgrade.
The main traffic route through Queanbeyan, Monaro Street, has been closed since early March. It was expected to reopen in September 2026.
Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council documents reveal that while it was on track to meet that deadline, the “re-discovery” of a stormwater main under the road has forced a delay.
The pipe is closer to the surface and in a different position than anticipated.
“On sighting this stormwater main for the first time in 100 years, it became apparent that the top of the stormwater main encroaches into the upper layers of the new pavement design,” council papers say.
“Based on current design standards, the project cannot progress with the pavement reconstruction above the stormwater main without further review and consideration of the longer-term functionality of the stormwater main.”
Councillors have voted to seek $3.25 million in NSW Government funding to make sure the main can be used once Monaro Street reopens.
Councillor Mareeta Grundy said it was still unclear how the pipe was missed.
“What we are actually being asked to believe is that this critical asset has not been inspected, has not been maintained, nor been accounted for, as part of QPRC’s asset management for up to 100 years,” she said.
“If this is so, then this critical asset does not form part of (nor presumably comply with) QPRC’s own stormwater asset management plan.”
Cr Grundy urged her fellow councillors to defer a decision until they had more information, saying there wasn’t enough detail in the meeting papers.
“It’s been a right royal mess. It’s been a systemic failure in due diligence.
“But that doesn’t mean that we just push on without being responsible in assessing $3.25 million of loans that, ultimately, ratepayers will be responsible for.”
Councillor Bryce Wilson also asked how the pipe was missed.
“I do think there are a few – and here’s a public service term – ‘learnings’ that have to be had about how we got to a point that we’re discovering this now.”
In response, a staff member said it simply wasn’t known.
“This main doesn’t have any surface infrastructure to actually identify that alignment.”
Arguing for a swift resolution, Mayor Kenrick Winchester said he remained confident the road could reopen before Christmas.
“I think the absolute worst thing we can do is not make a decision tonight,” he said.
“Staff need clarity, the contractor needs clarity, the community needs clarity … We can’t put our heads in the sand.”
Cr Grundy’s proposal, which would have seen the matter deferred until further information was presented to councillors, was voted down.
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Council staff are recommending that the council adopt option five, which would see the existing 1800-mm-diameter pipe relined and the culvert at the Lowe Street intersection replaced.
This would take eight weeks.
During the meeting, a staff member said other work on the Monaro Street upgrade project could continue while those works were underway.
“The sooner we’re able to have some certainty around what we’re doing with the stormwater pipe, we can continue with those other works and not prolong the amount of time that we then have to wait before we can get on and do the footpath finishing works,” they said.
Monaro St is the main route for heavy vehicle traffic from the coast to Canberra and further inland.
Following the meeting, NSW Upper House MP Nichole Overall called for the state’s road minister to take over the project.
She said she raised concerns with the minister when the full closure began and that local businesses and residents have been paying the price.
“Residents and businesses were told the pain would be worth it because a full closure, rather than the originally agreed partial closure, would dramatically shorten construction time,” she said.
“Instead, barely a few months into the project, costs have now blown out by 28 per cent and serious questions remain about basic infrastructure investigations.”
Before it closed, Monaro Street recorded between 18,000 and 25,000 vehicle trips each day.
Motorists are being urged to avoid the town’s CBD where possible, with alternative routes along Yass Road (towards Pialligo Avenue and Canberra Airport) and Ellerton Drive (bypassing Queanbeyan towards Jerrabomberra).