February Rural Update

Published on Friday, 6 February 2026 at 10:56:55 AM

General

Weather Advisory – Potential Impact to Pastoral Roads

A developing weather system is currently building off the Exmouth coast. Early modelling suggests a trajectory toward Carnarvon and surrounding areas over Sunday/Monday, with an estimated 25% probability of significant rainfall.

What This Means for Pastoralists:

  • Please be prepared for possible road closures, especially on unsealed pastoral access roads.
  • Heavy rain has the potential to damage roads quickly, and driving on wet roads significantly increases this damage.
  • In the event of sufficient rainfall, the Shire will close affected roads to protect the network and ensure safety.

Road closures, if required, will be posted on the Shire website.

We recommend factoring this risk into your transport, livestock, supply, and operational planning.

Request for Information – Please Report Road Damage

Your reports greatly assist us, especially after weather events such as the one forecast for this weekend.  

If you experience:

  • Significant rain (10mm and above)
  • Washed-out sections
  • Boggy or unsafe areas
  • Blocked grids/culverts
  • Significant erosion
  • Fallen trees or debris

Please notify us using the methods listed below:

You can find more information about the app on our website: Snap, Send, Solve information

Your assistance helps us respond sooner and prioritise resources where they’re needed most.

Road Maintenance and Grading

The Shire has completed a significant portion of our scheduled grading program for the year to date. This includes works on multiple key pastoral access routes across the Gascoyne. Recent grading activity has improved road surface condition, drainage flow, and general safety.

All roads in the southern region have been given one grade as of Friday, 6th February.

We sincerely thank pastoralists who contacted us with road condition reports and grid-cleaning requests.

Your timely advice ensures we can prioritise works effectively and respond to issues before they escalate.

Quobba-Gnaraloo Road Works

Capital works along the Quobba-Gnaraloo Road corridor have progressed well.

Recent works include:

  • Formation grading
  • Shoulder reshaping
  • Drainage improvements
  • Targeted pavement repairs

These improvements support access reliability for both pastoral operations and tourism traffic.

Wahroonga-Pimbee Road Capital Works

Upgrades on Wahroonga-Pimbee Road have also been completed, focusing on:

  • Surface reconstruction
  • Improving heavy-vehicle access
  • Enhancing safety and resilience during seasonal weather events.

Acknowledgement of Contractors

The Shire extends its thanks to the contractors engaged on the Quobba-Gnaraloo and Wahroonga-Pimbee Road projects. Their work has been high quality, timely, and professional under challenging conditions.

Thanks to Wayne Linke and Nicko at Northern Goldfields Earthmoving (NGE), and Simon Thomas and Steve Falkner from Goodwork Holdings for their exceptional efforts in improving and maintaining our unsealed road network.

Grid Cleaning – Thank You for Your Assistance

We appreciate all pastoralists who reached out with details for grid-cleaning requirements. Your on-the-ground knowledge is essential, and it ensures our crew can target grids that pose the highest safety

and access risks.

The Shire encourages pastoralists to continue reporting any:

  • Blocked grids
  • Collapsed grid wings
  • Damaged signage
  • Poor-draining approaches

This helps us plan and schedule work efficiently.

Well done to our Roads and Works Team for their ongoing work cleaning out the grids – not an easy task and usually undertaken in isolated areas.

 

Works Scheduled for the Next Quarter

Over the coming quarter, the Shire is planning:

  • Continued grading on high-priority pastoral access roads.  Grading will commence in the northern region as of Monday, 9th February, starting with Mia Mia, Winning and Warroora. Next will be the northern end of Minilya-Lyndon Road. A second grader will commence on Quobba-Gnaraloo Road mid-March before the school holidays.
  • Additional grid cleaning and maintenance
  • Drainage reinstatement works ahead of the winter period
  • Spot re-sheeting where pavement has deteriorated following summer traffic and weather
  • Follow-up works on the Quobba and Pimbi corridors as required

A detailed schedule will be shared as conditions stabilise following the forecast weather system.

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