Riverview Drive works to commence

Riverview Drive in Berri suffered significant damage as a direct response to building an earth levee along the road during the 2022/23 River Murray Flood.

Council has previously endorsed a like-for-like reconstruction of Riverview Drive, as supported by broad public consultation.

Berri Barmera Council CEO Tim Pfeiffer said the upcoming works were long-awaited.

“We know that the community has waited a long time for this reconstruction to begin and we thank Riverview Drive residents and road users for their patience,” he said.

“It has been important to find a solution that is in line with broad community preferences, is cost effective and can be predominantly externally funded.”

Council received $450,000 from the Federal Government’s Special Local Roads Program to fund Riverview Drive works, while the project will also receive up to 70 per cent of the remaining funds from the South Australian Department of Treasury and Finance as part of the South Australian Government’s Local Government Disaster Recovery Assistance Arrangements.

The remainder of the project will be funded through Council’s $245,000 Riverview Drive capital project allocation.

Riverland-based business, Scherer Contractors, will complete the project, with works expected to take about three months.

In May 2024, Council received 99 submissions as part of a public consultation to seek the community’s preferences regarding the reconstruction of Riverview Drive. Over half of respondents indicated a preference for a like-for-like reconstruction of Riverview Drive.

In September 2024, Council expanded the scope of the project to include the entire flood-damaged section of Riverview Drive from Clarke Road to Fenwick Road.

Works are expected to commence in February, with traffic restrictions in place throughout the reconstruction process.