Campaspe mayor applauds ministerial announcement on Lake Eppalock
Campaspe Shire Mayor Cr Rob Amos has applauded Minister for Water Harriet Shing’s announcement that the Victorian Government will conduct an assessment of operating and infrastructure arrangements at Lake Eppalock to find opportunities to reduce the impact of flooding ... “The spilling of Lake Eppalock in 2011 and 2022 caused catastrophic damage to the Campaspe Valley, particularly Rochester”: Cr Amos.
Forest closures continue to hamper community recovery
As communities work diligently to recover from the recent flooding, local businesses are concerned that continuing forest closures are hampering the local economy’s recovery ... Further upstream, the Victorian Nationals leader Peter Walsh said despite the Moama Water Sport Club delaying the world’s biggest ski race until March 24-26 because of the floods, there is still no guarantee the banks of the Murray will have been reopened to the public. He says there is no reason beyond the usual government indifference, regional Victoria is “out of sight, out of mind.”
Tinnie Heroes voted best short film by audience
The hall was packed and all eyes were on the screen at the Bangalow Flickerfest on Saturday, February 18. IndyNR.com presented Tinnie Heroes – a film about the floods.
Howitt Society weighs into debate
Hiding behind climate change is not a strategy to address the increasing number and intensity of fires and floods across Australia, according to the Howitt Society. The society's president, Rick Cooper, said even if all burning of fossil fuels was stopped across the world tomorrow, climate change was not going to shift into reverse.
‘Today is the day we stop building on the floodplain’ says online petition
Broadwater resident Sophie Morgan-Smith has started an online petition to reject the development proposal for 60 house blocks at Rileys Hill Rd , Broadwater. This land is a floodplain that was 5.33 metres under water in the February-March floods in 2022, Ms Morgan-Smith said.
That Camp Street levee!
Harold Flett. So Donald had a well above average total of rainfall in the Spring of 2022. Official rainfall records inform us of 365mm for the months of August through to end of November. That is a considerable amount of rain in four months, resulting in many flooded roads, crops and a decent “run” down our local Richardson River ... The first real chance to have our town levees challenged since the erection of them in the years following the “one in a hundred” flood of January 2011.
SA’s primary industries continue to experience record-breaking growth: Scriven
The release of the Primary Industries Scorecard 2021-22 illustrates the resilience of the sector in overcoming Covid 19, extreme weather, floods and bushfire events, the Russian invasion of Ukraine along with Chinese trade tensions to generate a revenue of $17.3 billion in 2021-22, an increase of 12% and accounting for 51% of the South Australia’s merchandise exports: Claire Scriven.
New alliance calls for emergency funding for rural roads: ALRTA
The newly-formed Rural Road Alliance is calling for an emergency funding package totalling nearly $5.5 billion in the upcoming Federal Budget. The alliance ... been formed in response to the critical challenges facing Australia’s rural road network in the wake of recent flooding and high rainfall.
Flood study review set to start
The Echuca Moama Torrumbarry Flood Study currently underway will be updated with new data from the October 2022 flood event ... “This will enable potential future flood mitigation measures, warning systems and triggers to be developed based on the latest information”: Campaspe Mayor Cr Rob Amos.
Suspected Avian Botulism outbreak
A deadly disease that attacks water birds, known as Avian Botulism, is suspected to have struck at Bells Swamp on the Bridgewater-Maldon Road in Neereman, 10 or so kilometres from Maldon. Bird rescue teams, including Victorian Wildlife veterinarians and volunteer regional wildlife lovers, spent the weekend searching the swamp for dead and unwell birds.
Housing pods hit the ground in Eugowra: Cooke
Flood-impacted residents across the Cabonne Shire can now apply for modular homes, with the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government expanding its temporary accommodation program following last year’s successful caravan rollout. Minister for Flood Recovery Steph Cooke said modular homes are now being installed on the properties of flood-impacted residents.
JEV vaccine stash could be up for grabs as mosquito threat looms: Hurn
The SA Opposition has been advised that there could be a precious stockpile of the Japanese Encephalitis Virus (JEV) vaccine up for grabs – but will soon expire – that could be used to protect South Australians from the disease as the flood recovery in the Riverland officially begins. Chairman of the Immunisation Coalition in Australia, Dr Rod Pearce, has indicated that the New South Wales Government is in possession of a surplus of JEV vaccines, with doctors based in the state telling him “they can’t give them away”.
Deniliquin farmer continues fight
Deniliquin farmer Anthony Roelink is continuing his fight to highlight what he believes is poor management of our river systems. He says a failure by authorities to heed the advice of local residents exacerbated the 2022 flood situation along the Murray River.
Flood observers sought: Gannawarra Shire Council
Residents who would like to provide local knowledge and support planning for future flood events are encouraged to consider becoming a volunteer flood observer. Gannawarra Shire Council, Victoria State Emergency Service (VICSES) and the North Central Catchment Management Authority are seeking new flood observers, especially from residents in the Pyramid and Wandella Creek areas.
Watch the trailer for Tinnie Heroes right here
Here’s the trailer for the short film Tinnie Heroes. The film will be officially launched in Woodburn on March 1.
$5 million to improve Northern Rivers drainage systems: Watt, Toole, Saunders
“This program will provide an injection of funds to improve priority drainage channels, reducing the immediate risks to agricultural assets and surrounding communities in future flood events. The funding will focus on the cleaning and treatment of sediment in drains to assist in the movement of water through these river systems": Federal Minister for Emergency Management Murray Watt.
Gunnedah Shire Council awarded funding for Blackjack Creek flood mitigation study: Anderson
A revised study identifying the risk of flooding on a 2.5-kilometre section between South Street and McCalls Road in Gunnedah has been commissioned with $60,000 in funding from the NSW Government’s 2022/23 NSW Floodplain Management Program ... The new study comes after significant changes were made to the area including the construction of a Blackjack Creek Riparian Corridor and the construction of the second Gunnedah overpass.
Ali Curung records 540mL in 24 hours
An Ali Curung resident couldn’t believe his eyes when he checked the rain gauge at Council on Thursday morning. Michael Stanley-Hunt knew the downpour Wednesday night was heavy, was evident by the flooding in and around the community, but the rain gauge measured a staggering 540mL.
The bees are back
If you think you’ve had a rough couple of years, spare a thought for beekeeper and honey producer Lindsay Callaway of Warral Maldon. Hard on the heels of the Covid lockdowns came the discovery in NSW of the varroa mite in June last year.
Students return to schools in Rochester after floods: Hutchins
Students in Rochester will return to their schools this week after being affected by the devastating flooding across Victoria last year. It’s the first time the students at Rochester Primary School and Rochester Secondary School will be able to walk back through the school gates since the flooding left both schools inundated with water.
Nutrien Ag Solutions & Elders dig deep to kick off donation drive for flooded Kimberley graziers: Rural Aid
Australia’s most trusted rural charity, Rural Aid, has joined forces with the Kimberley Pilbara Cattlemen’s Association (KPCA) to create a fundraising drive for flood-affected graziers in Western Australia’s Kimberley region ... Ex-tropical cyclone Ellie brought unfathomable volumes of rain to Fitzroy River catchments – up to 800 millimetres in a week for some locations - resulting in a flood that exceeded previous water levels by more than two metres. Properties such as Yeeda Station, just outside of Derby, were battling up to 40 kilometres of flood frontage.
Country Hour in Benjeroop
ABC rural reporter Angus Verley was on location last Friday, January 20 in the flood ravaged Benjeroop area ... “We haven’t been flooded out in 100 years but we’ve been flooded out twice in 13 years,” Mr Schultz told Mr Verley. “Something’s not quite right and that’s what we have got to get to the bottom of.”
