Residents in Queensland's Gulf region are growing impatient with seeing ill-informed travellers becoming stranded while following directions on Google Maps.
Several tourists near the community of Burketown have been rescued this wet season from flooded and impassable roads after following routes recommended by the popular website and app.
National Highway 1, which skirts the Gulf of Carpentaria, is perhaps the most infamous suggested route between Cairns and Darwin at this time of year, as opposed to a more southerly route via Mount Isa.
Ernie Camp, the Mayor of Burke Shire Council, said locals were fed up with rescuing motorists every year because of the strain it put on community resources.
"It's a big resource drain, especially at this time of year, when our locals and first responders are already busy dealing with the wet season and preparing for cyclone season," he said.
"On top of that, resources are stretched thin because of COVID-19."
Burketown is one of several Gulf communities that are often cut off by floodwater during the region's annual wet season.
"There needs to be some assessment done on the routes suggested in the app and maybe advice given on how seasonal our roads are out here."
A fix is on the way
After being alerted to the issue, Google said it was working on fixing the route recommendations to better align with the wet season.
"We use multiple sources to accurately model the real world, including third-party data, user contributions, along with Street View and satellite imagery," a spokesperson said.
Burketown station owner Kylie Camp said a lack of signage made it easy for unaware motorists to wind up in sticky situations.
"I'd encourage people to ring ahead and be better informed before travelling through these remote areas."
