As residents of Carisbrook in Central Victoria stare down the barrel of up to 90 millimetres of rain in the next two days, residents have shared their frustration that a levee which could reduce the effect of flooding remains incomplete.
The local council commissioned the design of the levee in the wake of the devastating 2011 floods, but almost 12 years on work is still in progress.
Flooding largely from the Tullaroop and McCallum Creeks in 2011 inundated more than 250 homes and farms and led to the evacuation of almost 1,000 people from Carisbrook.
Carisbrook resident and local fire brigade captain Ian Boucher told ABC Ballarat Breakfast the long-running project had caused frustration, anger and uncertainty among some in the community, particularly with forecast rain.
"It could be completely different dynamics to the 2011 floods," he said.
"We are just not sure what is going to happen."
Central Goldfields Shire mayor Chris Meddows-Taylor said the work completed so far should create benefits during heavy rain, with a cut-off drain diverting water from the western part of the town.
"We are certainly satisfied the works we have done to date are not creating any increased risks, they are actually providing benefits we wouldn’t have had before," he said.
Cr Meddows-Taylor said the council had cleared drains and prepared as best it could for the forecast rain.
Mitigation work
Three stages of the Carisbrook levee project have been completed, with the final stage underway, focusing on an area south of the Pyrenees Highway.
This levee will divert overland flows around the town to the creek, taking it out of the existing township drainage network.
Some residents are concerned about how the incomplete project could affect the flow of water if heavy rain forecasts eventuate this week.
"Going by what residents have said, they have water on sides of the levee they didn't have in 2011," Mr Boucher said.
Cr Meddows-Taylor said engineers were working with these residents on Pleasant Street to improve water pooling.
Central Goldfields Ratepayers and Residents Association president Wayne McKail said the unfinished levee would funnel water into a narrow area which he was afraid could lead to a "far worse outcome".
"The half-levee that is built has channelled all of the overland water that would have flowed evenly overland down to a narrow area, so will have more water travelling through a narrow area," he said.
"That's why we are hoping we don't get the rain forecast.
"All the dams are full now — anything that falls is going to come straight through the town."
Cr Meddows-Taylor said an expert company completed the design of the levee to mitigate the effect of floods and this was backed up by a peer-review process.
"We have to go with the expert advice. We are confident and we want to get that final stage finished," he said.
"The community will be relieved when it is finally done."
The ratepayers and residents' association hosted a meeting last week to talk through the history of the levee project and current resident concerns.
Some residents angry
Mr McKail said there has been a lack of community consultation, transparency and communication from council throughout the project.
He is calling on Central Goldfields Shire Council to meet with the community and address resident concerns about the design, data used in the process and alleged mismanagement of funding.
Cr Meddows-Taylor said there had been consistent community consultation throughout the entire process and all money allocated to the project was accounted for.
He said $1.8 million in state and federal government funding for the final stage of the levee was not secured until the start of this year and this had caused some of the delays.
Management of the levee project has been through a tumultuous council period, with dismissal of the previous council in 2017, the appointment of administrators, and the election of a new council.
Authorities are warning communities across Victoria to prepare for possible severe flooding on Thursday.
"Even with the best levees, in any flood prone area there is always risk of flooding," Cr Meddows-Taylor said.
