Monaro Street Refresh

Project typeCapital works
Project value$17,250,000
Contractor nameDale and Hitchcock Civil Pty Ltd | WSP Australia Pty Ltd (Detailed designs)

Project update - 1 July 2026

We are finalising approvals to move ahead with addressing the stormwater issue on Monaro Street. In the meantime, with wet weather forecast, the contractor will be restricted in the type of work that can be completed on the road surface on Monaro Street. This provides an opportunity to start footpath works on the Queanbeyan Leagues Club side of the street.

The footpath in this section will be closed from Wednesday 1 July 2026 for approximately two weeks. The closure will extend from Shamrock Lane to the corner of Monaro Street and Collett Street.

Shamrock Lane will remain open. However, pedestrians will need to either travel towards the Crawford Street intersection to cross Monaro Street, or travel around the Queanbeyan Leagues Club and cross Monaro Street under Queens Bridge.

Temporary signage will be installed around the work area and along the adjacent detour routes to guide pedestrians safely through the area.

Access to the Queanbeyan Leagues Club from the car park will not be affected by these works.

Completing this section first also provides an opportunity to refine the construction process before similar footpath works is carried out in other sections of Monaro Street where more businesses will be directly impacted. Further notification and direct liaison with affected businesses will be provided before the next stages of footpath works begins.

What has happened so far?

June

At its 10 June meeting, Council approved up to an additional $3,250,000 to address the Monaro Street Refresh stormwater issue.

7 scenarios were presented to Council, each with estimated additional project costs and project timeline extensions. Council was not asked to choose a scenario, only to approve additional funding in the budget.

The preferred option allows contractors to reline the existing 1800mm diameter pipe and replace the culvert through the Lowe Street intersection. This option involves the least delay to the project and the community, at an estimated 8 weeks. This option will also allow Dale and Hitchcock to continue works on the site between Lowe Street and Crawford Street.

Council will seek NSW Government funding for the additional funding in lieu of increased loan funding. Council will receive a further report on the process to remove heavy vehicles from Monaro Street.

Once the north side of Monaro Street was dug up, it became clear that a major stormwater main is under the eastbound travel lane and it is much closer to the surface than we had anticipated. It was also of a non-standard external shape and construction. This shallow depth and the unusual structure of the main has created structural challenges that require us to carefully plan the best way to address the issue to ensure that heavy vehicle traffic will not damage the stormwater main in the future.

We’re working with Transport for NSW, who are the owners of the road, to finalise a solution and will update the community as soon as we know more.

Works started to install kerb and gutters on the south side of Monaro Street. Median walls began to be installed on the east block of the site between Crawford Street and the Queens Bridge.

May

Foundation improvements and underground service adjustments are continuing
Stormwater works are continuing
Contractors are preparing for kerb and gutter works

April

Contractors continued foundation improvements and underground service adjustments
Contractors started installing new stormwater systems

March

Council's Parks and Gardens team retrieved plants from Monaro Street and transferred them to an irrigated site for care until conditions are ideal for replanting in other locations
A large tree from the median strip near Lowe Street was pruned, carefully excavated with hydrovac equipment, transported, and replanted at Sister City Park
Contractors removed the top layer of the road surface, medians, and debris to prepare for reconstruction works
Contractors began foundation testing and improvements and underground service adjustments
Contractors started to remove pavers from the footpath closest to the road in preparation for kerb and gutter works

Progress photos

Pedestrian Ramp access to St Gregorys Primary School

Business support

What programs are running right now?

Monaro Street Facade Improvement Program

The aim of the Monaro Street Façade Improvement Program is to enhance the appearance of buildings along Monaro Street, Queanbeyan. Designed to complement the current Monaro Street Refresh Project, the program focuses on improving the street’s overall amenity and visitor experience.

The objective of the program is to:

Improve the visual presentation of buildings along the street
Assist building owners to attract and retain tenants
Complement the Monaro Street Refresh Project including the Shopfront Improvement Program, which specifically targets business shopfronts.

Eligible building owners can apply for grant funding of up to $10,000 (GST exclusive), with the funding covering no more than 50% of the total project cost.

Find all the details and the application form on the Grants and Donations page.

Shopfront Improvement Program design and quote finalisation

POP Creative Collective are finalising the design work and coordination of trades to deliver these shopfront improvements. Works will be undertaken in coordination with Dale & Hitchcock as to minimise disruption to businesses, customers, and the progress of the project itself.

What has happened so far

Lunch Rewards program

We have partnered with the 104.7 Hit Squad for a Lunch Reward voucher to the value of $15. These can be redeemed at any of the 9 hospitality business along Monaro St which are listed on the voucher. The promotion will run on Thursday and Fridays from 16 April to 14 May. The Hit Squad will announce Thursdays and Fridays every week for the 4 weeks, when and where they’ll be for the voucher giveaway.

Shop and Win round 2 - supporting local businesses

Shop & Win round 2 is underway across the CBD from 20 April for 6 weeks until 1 June. Each week a $500 prize winner will be announced with the winner of the $5000 major prize being announced on 3 June. Prize money must be spent back at the participating businesses across the CBD. Participating businesses have the red Treasure Trail window sticker on their shopfront windows. Spend $20 or more at participating businesses and receive a Shop and Win ticket. Scan the QR code on the ticket and enter the unique code on your ticket on the Treasure Trail website to go in the draw. You’ll find a full list of participating businesses by scanning the QR code on the ticket.

Visual merchandising workshop – October 2025

October was Small Business Month across NSW, celebrating the vital role that small businesses, sole traders and entrepreneurs play in our economy. We hosted a presentation by POP Creative Collective, with 25 businesses from across the LGA in attendance.

The engaging workshop covered examples of best practice in retail design and visual merchandising, with practical and achievable tips and advice to assist any business with a shopfront, including retailers and hospitality venues.

Queanbeyan Shop & Win Promotion: Winnings Spent Across 25 Businesses!

From Monday 25 August to Friday 3 October 2025, Council held a Shop & Win Promotion to encourage spending in local businesses. Throughout the six-week promotion, 25 businesses shared in the $8,000 prize pool, with over 10,000 entries submitted by shoppers supporting local businesses.

Shopfront Improvement Program audit

POP Creative Collective audited all the eligible shopfronts along Monaro Street, considering signage, façade, lighting, footpath display etc. Successful applicants to participate in the program have had their initial one-on-one session with POP Creative Collective and are working through their options to improve their shopfronts.

Collett Street car park incentive

To encourage workers to park at the Collett Street car park behind the bus interchange a free coffee incentive was rolled out Monday 23 March 2026.

The first 50 vehicles to park at the Collett Street car park received a free coffee/beverage voucher to the value of $6 which could be used at any of the 14 cafes/takeaways across the CBD. The incentive ran from Monday to Friday from 23 March – 6 April 2026.

FAQs

What will the upgrades look like?

The road footprint will be the same, but we will have an upgraded street the whole length on Monaro Street from Lowe Street to Collett Street.

The existing alignment and traffic lights will remain. We will have a quieter road surface, modified medians, improved pedestrian crossings and footpaths. We will retain the existing parking.

We are updating the stormwater drainage and in-ground services; and reducing the gutter height and improving accessibility.

While this is a disruptive project in the short-term, in the long-term we will have a much better main street for everyone to enjoy.

What about the businesses on Monaro Street?

Businesses are open! Pedestrian access will be maintained throughout the project, so please use the car parks around the CBD and make sure you keep supporting your local businesses.

Pedestrians can still use the Queens Bridge, and cross Monaro Street at the intersections. With less traffic, crossing is easier for pedestrians.

Where can I park in the CBD?

There are seven Council-owned car parks in the CBD – Lowe Street, Rutledge Street, Morisset Street, Collett Street (at the bus interchange), Crawford Street, Antill Street (aquatic centre), and Erin Street. There are also privately owned car parks.

Parking is not available on Monaro Street during construction.

Download a map of the car parks in the Queanbeyan CBD(PDF, 2MB)

Why didn’t you know there was a stormwater main in the street?

It was known that a stormwater main ran the length of Monaro Street from Lowe Street to the river. It has drained water from above the showground for over 100 years.

Wasn’t it obvious where the pipe is? People have been walking up it since they were kids.

Apparently, everyone over a certain age used to walk up the pipe! However, it is not easy to determine where the pipe is in relation to the rest of the road when somebody is inside it. There are no pits at surface level on the main which would provide an indication of where it is.

Is this the only stormwater main which drains water from the area?

There is another, larger main (2.4m diameter), which also drains water from the showground area that flows through the Lowe Car Park, beside the QPRC office and also discharges to the river at the end of Rutledge Street.

What is the size of the stormwater main?

The stormwater main is 1.8m in diameter internally. The thickness of the walls of the pipe vary in size from approximately 270mm to 400mm.

Why does the wall thickness of the pipe vary?

The thickness of the walls appears to vary due to the method of construction. After investigation of the pipe, inside and outside, it appears that it was formed as a cast-in-place concrete pipe meaning there are no visible joins of individual pipe sections and the wall thickness was based on the ‘mould/formwork’. Attempts are being made to confirm the method of construction.

How old is the stormwater main?

Council’s records do not show when this main was installed. The concrete road was placed in 1929/1930 and the stormwater main was already in place by then. The method of cast-in-place construction appears to have first been used in the United States in the early 1920s. The current pipe may have replaced an older stone walled or brick drain. Attempts are being made to confirm the date of construction.

Why is the location of the stormwater main an issue?

The location of the stormwater main is an issue on two counts:

It is located under the near side travelling lane of the eastbound (to the coast) carriageway.
There is not enough cover over the top of the main for the approved road design to be constructed.

Where it is located, it is subject to the full traffic loading of heavy vehicles. The structural strength of the pipe has been tested and does not meet current standards to withstand the heavy vehicle loading.

Why is the load capacity a problem now, hasn’t the pipe been ok as it is?

Yes, the pipe has been ok, partly because the previous concrete road pavement may have been providing some protection. However, there is nothing that provides confidence that the pipe would not fail due to the heavy vehicle loading at any time.

Why is this Council’s problem, not Transport for NSW’s?

The stormwater main is Council’s asset and the road is Transport for NSW’s.

If the pipe had failed prior to this project, TfNSW would have needed to liaise with Council to restore the road to normal operation.

If TfNSW were leading the road rehabilitation, they would have discovered the stormwater main and would have needed to liaise with Council to restore the road to normal operation.

As Council is leading the upgrade project, we need to liaise with TfNSW to restore their asset to normal operation.

Would removing heavy vehicles access to Monaro Street solve the issue?

Restricting heavy vehicles from using Monaro Street in an eastbound direction would greatly assist the issue as it would reduce the loads imposed on the stormwater main.

Why don’t the heavy vehicles get stopped from using Monaro Street instead of spending money on the stormwater main? Haven’t the heavy vehicles been using other routes during the current road closure anyway?

Yes, heavy vehicles have been successfully using alternative routes since the road was closed for this work. This access on local roads has been approved for a limited period only. The process to stop heavy vehicles using Monaro Street permanently is not a quick process. It requires a number of traffic studies and detailed assessment of the capacity of alternative routes to withstand the increased volume and loading of traffic. Significant consultation must also be held with road users, including freight operators and regulators. There are also issues of co-ordination with the ACT roads authority regarding permanent diversion of heavy vehicles through their road network.

One of the recommendations of the Council report on 10 June 2026 is to start the process.

The time to attempt to get approval to remove heavy vehicles from Monaro Street would mean that the current project would be put on hold until a decision was made. There is no guarantee that this process would be successful and the issue of the stormwater main would still need to be addressed. The current road closure and alternative traffic arrangements would remain in place causing continued disruption.

What does pipe relining mean?

Relining can take a number of forms. In this proposal, relining is a done by winding in a steel reinforced PVC material which locks together to form an independent pipe. It fits snugly within the existing concrete pipe but does not rely on the concrete for structural strength. This is a long accepted standard practice for rehabilitation of pipes in the sewer and stormwater industry. It has the benefit of minimising disruption to flow in the pipe during installation.

Does this mean that the pipe will be smaller?

Yes, the diameter of the new pipe will be less than the existing pipe. However, as the new pipe is made of a smoother material (PVC) than the existing concrete, the capacity of the new pipe is actually greater than the existing.

How is this project funded, are our rates going up to pay for this?

The project is funded by:

$10 million grant from NSW Department of Industry and Regional Development
$2 million grant from Transport for NSW
$5.25 million from QPRC loan funding
$3.25 million additional loan funding pending request to TfNSW for extra funding

No, there is no intent to increase rates to pay for this project.

Project background

Upgrading the main street of Queanbeyan has been a priority of Council and the community for many years and has been a key feature of several community engagement activities. The project is included in:

Council's CBD Transformation Strategy (adopted in May 2017)
2019 revision of the Queanbeyan CBD Spatial Masterplan
Queanbeyan Place Plan in 2020

The concept designs were on public exhibition and a report on submissions received was presented to Council in September 2021. A copy of this report can be found in the ‘Consultation Report’ tab on this page.

The project is funded through $10m of grant funding under the NSW Government's Drought Stimulus Package. Council accepted this offer of grant funding in 2020 and agreed to arrange loan funding of $5.25m as co-contribution for the project.

Transport for NSW have allocated an additional $2 million in funding for the project, to be spent in 2026.

WSP Australia Pty Limited prepared the detailed design.

Tender submissions were considered by Council in May 2025 for construction and the tender was awarded to Dale and Hitchcock Civil Pty Ltd.

Timeline

Concept designs prepared and placed on public exhibition August 2021.
Submissions were considered by Council in September 2021.
A variation for extension of time was approved in May 2024.
WSP Australia Pty Limited were engaged in August 2024 to prepare detailed designs.
Detailed design and cost estimates were presented to Council in January 2025.
Construction tenders closed on 5 May 2025.
Tender awarded to Dale and Hitchcock Civil Pty Ltd at the Council meeting on 28 May 2025.
Construction is now expected to take 6 months, not 12 months, as support has been provided by TfNSW to close the whole road in stages to accelerate the program.