South West Regional Roads and Transport Group
On this page:
- Project story: Bulloo Shire Council, Bundeena Road widening
- Project story: Maranoa Regional Council, Gravel resheeting of 10km of Yuleba Surat Road
- Project story: Murweh Shire Council, Charleville–Adavale Road pavement form and seal
- Project story: Quilpie Shire Council, sealing of 6.8km of the Adavale Red Road
- Regional Roads and Transport Group members
- South West Regional Roads and Transport Group map
- Transport Infrastructure Development Scheme (TIDS) program details
Project story: Bulloo Shire Council, Bundeena Road widening
Submitted by George Inocentes, Senior Civil Engineer, Bulloo Shire Council.
Bundeena Road is a key transport corridor connecting the township of Thargomindah with Noccundra and beyond. With significant growth in tourist traffic and an increase in heavy vehicles, especially livestock transport, Bulloo Shire Council identified the need to upgrade the existing single-lane bitumen road to improve safety and functionality.
The project, starting at the intersection near Thargomindah Airport, involves progressively widening the road to an 8m sealed standard. As this is a state-controlled road, the upgrade delivers substantial benefits to both the travelling public and freight operators by providing a safer, more resilient corridor - particularly important during the wet season.
Early stages of the widening have already been met with positive feedback from road users, who have noted improvements in accessibility, safety, and comfort. The enhanced pavement not only supports regional tourism but also underpins economic activity, particularly for primary producers relying on reliable access to market.
Recognising its strategic importance, council has committed to allocating TIDS funding over the next four years to continue the widening works. The plan includes an ambitious target of sealing an additional 20km of Bundeena Road by 2029, reinforcing the council’s commitment to road safety, network resilience, and economic development for the region.
Project story: Maranoa Regional Council, Gravel resheeting of 10km of Yuleba Surat Road
Submitted by Cameron Hoffmann, Deputy Director – Strategic Road Management, Maranoa Regional Council.
The gravel resheeting project on Yuleba Surat Road forms part of Maranoa Regional Council’s broader program to maintain critical rural links to gravel standard across the region. The 10km of gravel resheeting, located between Chainage 37.74 to 44.14 and Chainage 46.60 to 50.20, was identified in council’s Asset Management Plan as nearing the end of its useful life, with the surface material degrading and susceptible to damage even after small rain events.
This road plays a critical role in connecting the townships of Yuleba and Surat and provides a key shortcut between the Roma–Condamine Road and Surat, improving regional connectivity. The upgraded section supports agricultural freight movements, particularly during and after wet weather events when access becomes challenging for heavy vehicles and property owners.
The route is also culturally and historically significant, forming part of the Cobb and Co Heritage Trail with Surat’s Cobb and Co Changing Station located nearby. This not only highlights its value for tourism but reinforces the broader regional benefit of ensuring this corridor remains accessible and in good condition.
The gravel resheet will provide a more resilient surface, improve cross-section drainage, and enhance road safety. The project will help reduce future maintenance needs and ensure more reliable year-round access for rural industries, tourists, and local communities — reflecting the important value of the TIDS in delivering projects of this nature in our region.
Project story: Murweh Shire Council, Charleville–Adavale Road pavement form and seal
Submitted by Jacob Barton, Director of Engineering Services, Murweh Shire Council.
Murweh Shire Council has successfully completed the final 10km section of formation widening and sealing on the Charleville–Adavale Road within its boundary, bringing to completion a significant infrastructure upgrade long anticipated by the community. Previously a State-Controlled Road, this section was handed over to council more than a decade ago, with Murweh’s civil construction team working to seal the road in the years that followed.
Works on the final section of seal commenced in July 2024 with the aim of completion by Christmas; however, progress was delayed by a declared flood event in November 2024. Despite this, council’s team completed the project just prior to the next widespread flood event experienced in March 2025. The newly constructed pavement, which was constructed from local materials won from borrow pits within the project extents, endured around 300mm of rain in a month almost immediately after the pavement was sealed. Despite this, the pavement performed exceptionally well with minimal damage, highlighting the value for money achieved by applying local knowledge in selecting and working local materials.
The project delivers critical all-weather access to rural residents and businesses, with tangible community benefits described by long-time resident Teri Sommerfield, whose family has relied on this 100km section of road to access their home and grazing property since the 1930s: “The completion of the bitumen seal on the Murweh Shire portion of the Adavale Road represents a major milestone for my family as well as the greater community, bridging generations and transforming rural connectivity… This kind of infrastructure development carries profound emotional significance… and marks a significant improvement in quality of life for those who have called this remote region home for generations.”
This milestone not only enhances transport reliability and safety but also reflects decades of community perseverance and council’s commitment to regional resilience.
Project story: Quilpie Shire Council, sealing of 6.8km of the Adavale Red Road
Submitted by Eng Hwa Lim, Director Infrastructure Services, Quilpie Shire Council.
For decades, Adavale residents have faced significant challenges accessing essential services in Quilpie, the Shire’s administrative centre. The 100km journey includes 80km of unsealed road on the Adavale Red Road, which becomes impassable during wet weather, isolating the community and hindering access to schools, healthcare, groceries and banking services. While the Royal Flying Doctor Service provides emergency medical support via Adavale’s unsealed airstrip, the lack of a reliable road connection remains a critical issue.
Recognising the importance of this infrastructure, Quilpie Shire Council has been working for over 20 years to seal the Adavale Red Road, using limited local resources to complete small sections incrementally.
In 2020, council launched an accelerated strategy to complete the remaining
40 per cent of the Adavale Red Road with a 7m wide double coat seal. It is not just about road construction—it is about building resilience, improving safety, and unlocking economic and social opportunities.
This ambitious program combines funding from TIDS, the Australian Government’s Roads to Recovery Program, and council’s own contributions.
Since it ensures all-weather flood resilient road between Quilpie and Adavale, the completion of the Adavale Red Road sealing project delivers transformative benefits to the community and region:
- improved road safety and accessibility
- reduced maintenance burden
- stronger regional connectivity to foster economic opportunities and enhance community resilience, supports local industries, and boosts tourism to Hell Hole Gorge and other local attractions
- cost-effective infrastructure at an average cost of $224,500 per kilometre.
The Adavale Red Road project stands as a model for overcoming challenges in rural road construction and demonstrates how targeted infrastructure investment can drive economic and social benefits.
A collaborative funding model, drawing on multiple financial sources, was key to the project's success, showcasing an effective approach for infrastructure delivery in regional areas.
Regional Roads and Transport Group members
- Balonne Shire Council
- Bulloo Shire Council
- Maranoa Regional Council
- Murweh Shire Council
- Paroo Shire Council
- Quilpie Shire Council
- TMR South West District
Chair: Councillor Suzette Beresford, Mayor, Paroo Shire Council
Deputy Chair: Councillor Shaun Radnedge, Mayor, Murweh Shire Council
Technical Committee Chair: Cameron Hoffman, Maranoa Regional Council
Technical Committee Deputy Chair: Jacob Barton, Murweh Shire Council
Technical Coordinator: Stephen Hegedus, Shepherd Services
Transport Infrastructure Development Scheme 2024-25 Allocation: $7,260,384
Total number of projects: 12
South West Regional Roads and Transport Group map.
South West Regional Roads and Transport Group (RRTG) Transport Infrastructure Development Scheme (TIDS) program details
The following information lists the RRTG TIDS 2024-25 works program by local government, with the project name and the year-to-date TIDS expenditure.
Balonne Shire Council
| Project name | Expenditure |
|---|---|
|
Whyenbah Road, 39.56 - 59.87km, construct to a sealed standard |
$502,168 |
|
Jakelwar - Goodooga Road, 9.45 - 24.45km, construct to sealed standard |
$567,895 |
Bulloo Shire Council
| Project name | Expenditure |
|---|---|
|
Quilpie - Thargomindah Road (Thargomindah), various sections, upgrade to seal standard |
$246,600 |
|
Bulloo Developmental Road (Thargomindah - Bundeena), seal shoulders |
$823,463 |
Maranoa Regional Council
| Project name | Expenditure |
|---|---|
|
South West RRTG, capability and technical support |
$181,506 |
|
Yuleba - Surat Road, resheet unsealed road |
$300,000 |
|
Redford Road, 20.54 - 29.31km, construct to sealed standard |
$1,414,585 |
|
Yuleba Surat Road, 54.05 - 62.80km, construct to sealed standard |
$13,978 |
Murweh Shire Council
| Project name | Expenditure |
|---|---|
|
Adavale Road, 86.13 - 96.71km, construct to sealed standard |
$1,070,063 |
Paroo Shire Council
| Project name | Expenditure |
|---|---|
|
Eulo - Toompine Road, various sections, widen pavement |
$970,031 |
|
Eulo - Toompine Road, 24.45 - 38.8km, widen floodways and culverts |
$100,032 |
Quilpie Shire Council
| Project name | Expenditure |
|---|---|
|
Quilpie - Adavale Road, various sections, upgrade to sealed standard including floodways |
$1,070,063 |
- Last updated
- 17 October 2025