Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) water restrictions are to blame for a slight civil work delay at the Selma Park subdivision, according to shíshálh Nation IGS Operations Manager Jesse Waldorf.
Waldorf told Coast Reporter the project is “a little bit behind schedule” after missing a paving window.
“I was really hoping to have the asphalt in before the winter hit, but because of the water restrictions… we couldn’t get asphalt done,” he said.
The plan itself has not changed, said Waldorf, and road paving will start as soon as the asphalt provider opens in the spring. “And then it’s back to full speed ahead.”
Asphalt, cement and other aggregate processing and manufacturing processes were banned as part of an order under a declared State of Local Emergency due to a severe drinking water shortage on the Sunshine Coast. The ban was lifted last month.
Civil work began at the start of this year. Selective logging was initially delayed after an environmental study discovered bird nests, including an eagle’s nest at the site. Logging was expected to commence in the spring of 2021.
The subdivision site is located off Selma Park Road.
Another issue Waldforf highlighted was “slightly less-than-fortuitous ground conditions in a few spots,” requiring workers to replace native fill with sand, but that issue has been remedied.
“We were expecting to be able to cut into the hillside and push the material down the hill to fill in the lot and make a level building spot, but some of the material wasn’t suitable for recompaction,” he said.
The unsuitable material was trucked off site, and imported backfill was used to create a level construction spot.
Waldorf said the site could be ready for construction of housing units by next year, however, the Nation is also working on a format for lot allocation, in order to meet the needs of Nation members. That will must be completed prior to construction.
The 91-lot subdivision is funded in part by a $9.1 million investment from the federal government.
As it currently stands, phase 1 of the multi-phase project will include 45 lots of the project’s expected total of 180 housing units.
Of the 45 lots, 40 will be for single-family homes, three quadplexes and two lots for duplexes. Once complete, the subdivision is expected to include a mix of properties for rent or mortgaged by Nation members.
- With files from Keili Bartlett
Correction: An earlier version of this story misidentified the governing body that issued the water restrictions.
