Road Erosion

Council Gravel Roads Erosion Project  2021 - 2025

Funded by the partnership between the Australian Government's Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, our Council Gravel Roads Erosion Project set out to measure erosion from current maintenance practices, trial practical erosion control Best Management Practices (BMPs), and use a rigorous before-after, control-impact (BACI) design study to compare the effectiveness of improved methods. From the outset, SCYC aimed not only to deliver on-ground improvements but also to advocate for effective, environmentally-sound funding models and maintenance policies at state and national levels. On-ground trials included vegetation management of verges in lieu of full grading to bare earth; check dams in V-drains; rock armouring of steep slopes; and gully rehabilitation. Three technical reports and a joint BMP guideline with the Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) were produced based on the findings of the study and the BMP trials. These publications cover economic analysis, erosion quantification, and practical operator guidance. SCYC also contributed case studies and review input to IPWEAQ’s Draft Resilient Roads Guidelines, helping inform future road policy across Queensland.