Council waiting for dry weather to fix creek causeway after drownings

Townsville City Council crews will inspect and remediate cavities beneath a causeway in a creek system where two people drowned. A 58-year-old woman and a 74-year-old man drowned at Kaluna Creek north of Townsville in January, days after near drownings were reported to local government. What's next? Inspections and remediations will be conducted once water levels drop ahead of the 2026 wet season start. On any hot north Queensland day after good rain, those who knew the open secret of Kaluna Creek would head down to cool off in the water and fire up a barbecue. But four-wheel drives and happy families are no longer a common sight at the creek, which is instead marked by no swimming signs and heartfelt tributes. A 58-year-old woman and a 74-year-old man drowned at a roadway through the creek on January 22. The tragedy is still hard to contemplate for Steven Upton, who watched his two grandsons and son-in-law struggle in the same spot just days before the drownings. "It wasn't just three members of my family," Mr Upton said. "That same afternoon, there were another two or three children that went under. "They were getting sucked under the roadway." Mr Upton's family members were assessed by paramedics and he spoke with the Townsville City Council about installing warning signs . But within days, two people lost their lives. Their deaths are part of an ongoing investigation by Far North Queensland's coroner. Warning signs have been permanently fixed at Kaluna Creek and the Townsville City Council is working towards "backfilling cavities beneath the causeway". To safely carry out the work, a council spokesperson said crews must wait for dry conditions. It means the danger will likely remain until later this year. "Following the tragic incident, council has been monitoring water levels to ensure conditions are safe for a physical inspection," a spokesperson said. "Current forecasts indicate investigations may occur mid-year, with any required remediation works to be completed ahead of the 2026 wet season. "Council has not received any reports of further incidents at the location." For Mr Upton, who fears swimmers may ignore the signs, the remediation works cannot come soon enough. "The wet season probably slowed it down, but I thought [the council] would have been there as soon as the water came down," he said. "For two people to have lost their lives there, I just couldn't believe it.