What's happening
Work recommenced in May 2022 and we’ve now completed all targeted work before the wet season.
The current worker’s camp will be shut-down and demobilised prior to the end of 2022. The camp will go into storage on private property before being re-established at a new camp location closer to Halls Creek, in 2023. This will reduce travel time for construction and other site workers.
Read more in the latest Project Update.
Duncan Road and Gordon Downs Road are the main links between Halls Creek and the Yaruman (Ringer Soak) community. They also provide access to cattle stations and the Browns Range Rare Earths Project.
Upgrades include improving the road quality and drainage, sealing some sections and constructing and sealing floodways to help reduce road closures during the wet season and provide better access to the Yaruman Community.
The project is being directly managed by Main Roads in partnership with the Shire of Halls Creek.
Gordon Downs Road
Completed work:
- Upgrade concrete floodways at Old Town and Black Elvire
- Road widening and alignment improvements to cater for road trains.
- Completion of geometry improvements through the hills section to improve line-of-sight.
- Seal and resheet various high maintenance sections including jump ups.
- Rehabilitation of gravel pits.
Duncan Road
Current and planned work:- Upgrade concrete floodways at Old Town and Black Elvire
- Road widening and alignment improvements to cater for road trains.
- Completion of geometry improvements through the hills section to improve line-of-sight.
- Seal and resheet various high maintenance sections including jump ups.
- Rehabilitation of gravel pits.
- Reform and reshape of approximately 60km of grave road west of Gordon Down Road.
- Install culverts and seal floodways.
- Raising, widening and gravel sheeting of the road formation on black soil plains;
- Installation of pipe and box culverts at various locations including some major creeks;
- Construction and sealing of cement stabilised floodways, including the 3.2 km Sturt Creek crossing floodway; and
- Installation of grids and sealing the approaches;
- Seal road approaches into Yaruman (Ringer Soak) including minor side road;
- Construction of side-tracks.
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October 2019: Main Roads started on the project, using the Shire of Halls Creek historic clearances practices.
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Early-2020: We formed a partnership with the Shire and finalised a Heritage Protection Agreement (HPA).
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July 2020: A Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony was held by traditional Jaru owners at Sturt Creek. Attendees included representatives from the Shire of Halls Creek, Yaruman (Ringer Soak) Community and the project team.
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December 2020: Heritage surveys were cancelled due to wet weather.
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October/November 2021: Jaru family groups undertook heritage surveys providing the opportunity for traditional owners to discuss their areas of concern from a local Aboriginal perspective and provide feedback. Jaru traditional owners confirmed sensitive areas to avoid and highlighted the importance of rehabilitating materials sites. Input from traditional owners has been invaluable and will feed into finalising an improved design with better project outcomes.
- June 2022: Final Environmental approvals received for the Hills section of work and Heritage clearances obtained following consultation with the Jaru and Koongie Elvire Traditional Owners.
In July 2021, information sessions were held in Yaruman (Ringer Soak) community and Halls Creek to provide an update on the project and gather feedback. Read more in the Project Update.
Aboriginal opportunities
We are committed to creating opportunities for Aboriginal peoples and businesses with a 36 per cent employment rate on the project. We continue to collaborate with East Kimberley Job Pathways and Djaringo to provide training and support to take up project opportunities.
Project Updates
- Project Update - July 2022 - PDF (872 KB)
- Project Update - July 2021 - PDF (1.92 MB)
- Project Update - November 2020 - PDF (929 KB)
Funding
$51 million ($40.8 m Australian Government, $10.1 m State Government)
Improve efficiency of freight movements
delays caused by road closures in wet season
access to critical services and employment