Completion of Castle Hill slope works secures safe inner-city future

Stanley Street has today re-opened, with Townsville City Council wrapping up essential stabilisation works as part of a project dedicated to ensuring the safety of inner-city road users for years to come.

The $3.71 million Castle Hill Road and Stanley Street Slope Remediation Project, deemed necessary after the effects of the 2025 wet season, involved rockfall prevention and stabilisation works along the iconic hill-face.

The works, contracted to Shamrock Civil, saw unstable portions of the hill slope removed and re-shaped, as well as around 10 tonnes of rockfall mesh and 280 tonnes of shotcrete installed to stabilise the sites.

The total cost of the project was $3.71 million, revised up from the original price of $2.71 million due to unforeseen engineering challenges along the rockface.

Divisional councillor Ann-Maree Greaney said Castle Hill was an icon of Townsville and the Stanley Street cutting, in particular, was a historical route through the city.

“The cutting is an important location for all types of traffic – it experiences high volumes of daily vehicle traffic and is a popular section of road that links the city to North Ward especially for Castle Hill walkers,” Councillor Greaney said.

“While the Stanley Street cutting – with the Victoria Street bridge passing over it – is certainly iconic, the steep rock walls do present ongoing engineering and safety challenges that Council takes very seriously.

“Significant wet weather events, like we saw earlier in the year, pose a particular risk when it comes to destabilising the slope.

“However, Council identified the need to complete these works as early as possible and invested the funding necessary to get the job done.”

Townsville Mayor Nick Dametto acknowledged the work of the contractors and thanked the community for their patience whilst the project was completed.

“The Castle Hill and the Stanley Street cutting works completed throughout the year were by no means a small job,” Councillor Dametto said.

“I’d like to acknowledge all of those involved in the project team, including the contractors, who have successfully managed the various elements involved to successfully tick this important project off.

“The community’s patience throughout this time has also been appreciated.”