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Workers prepare to repair Barkly Highway

Friday January 9, 2009 - 11:22 EDT

Three thousand tonnes of rock will carted from Tennant Creek to repair a section of the Barkly Highway that was washed away by flooding last weekend.

The Department of Planning and Infrastructure has sent crews to the site near the Queensland border.

The department's John Bertram says the rock will form a new foundation for the washed out section.

"It's the only material we can use at this stage," he says.

"We can't move off the highway at all, we're in black soil country out there. It's just a sheet of water so, yes, the material has to be imported at this stage."

The repairs are expected to take more than fortnight to complete.

But the department says it could be three months before flood repairs are completed on road in Central Australia.

Meanwhile, a Mt Isa family stranded by the flooding has decided to take an expensive charter flight home.

Demir Ostarjos, his wife and two children drove to Uluru on holiday this week and were hoping to get home this weekend.

Mr Ostarjos says he can't wait for it the Barkly Highway to reopen and he'll have his car transported home later.

"My wife and I both work in Mount Isa. She has to start work on Monday, so the option of going around through to Port Augusta, South Australia and that would have taken thee or four days to do [and that] wasn't really an option."

- ABC

© ABC 2008