Vol. No. Vol. 2518No. 1627
FREE PUBLICATION
A FREE PUBLICATION FROM YOUR LOCAL RADIO STATIONS 3WM AND MIXXFM
Wednesday, October January 19, 13, 2022 2016 Wednesday,
IMPACT: Alex and Andrew Papadopoulos and Alistair Fenton negotiate shallow water in Glenorchy on Saturday amid the town’s one-in-100-year flood. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER
Pressure rising S
BY JESSICA GRIMBLE
tormwater from thunderstorms in coming days will put additional strain on an already swollen river system across the Wimmera.
Wimmera River levels at Horsham had reached 3.29-metres as The Weekly Advertiser went to press last night. The flood peak of 3.6-metres is predicted for this morning. Water authorities, emergency services and councils are more than a week into flood preparedness, but this action will change as officials turn their attention from riverine flooding to the storms forecast until Sunday. Wimmera Catchment Management Authority chief executive David Brennan said floodwaters at the Drung gauge had peaked yesterday morning and were ‘slowly’ beginning to drop away. The gauge gives officials an indication of the peak in Horsham. About 10,000 megalitres of water was passing through Horsham weir yesterday, compared to 7500 mega-
litres on Monday. Water levels were rising about one-centimetre an hour. Mr Brennan urged people to prepare for thunderstorms through until the weekend – with streets likely to hold stormwater longer than usual, leading to flash-flooding. “The capacity of our stormwater system will be heavily compromised by the full river levels in Horsham and also the near-full levels at Dimboola,” he said. “People should be aware the stormwater might not leave their property, and will be unlikely to leave their property, in a manner that they are used to.” Mr Brennan said preparedness in towns such as Warracknabeal, which has a levy, would change to ensure stormwater could enter and release as required. He said as much stormwater as possible would be pumped from Wotonga Basin into the river in Horsham. He said Dimboola and Jeparit would not experience riverine flooding and
Lake Hindmarsh would increase from 10 to 15 percent to about 30 percent of its capacity. The lake, at the end of the system, was at 75 percent capacity after the 2011 floods. Horsham incident controller Mark Gunning said he was aware of some rural residents near Horsham whose properties had become isolated due to the flood. Quantong is likely to experience ‘minor to moderate’ flooding. Flooding cut Glenorchy in two on Saturday as the town experienced a one-in-100-year flood. Navarre and St Arnaud were also ‘heavily impacted’ across the weekend. Resident Alistair Fenton said floodwater levels were ‘definitely’ below that of the 2011 flood. “People said it was only going to be a drop in the ocean and the river would swell and that’s about it; that we wouldn’t see any more than that,” he said. “But the proof is in the pudding and we’ve well and truly got a lot of water in town.”
Meanwhile, residents in flood-affected towns might notice overflows in sewer gullies. A GWMWater spokesperson said floods could cause ‘significant’ infiltration of floodwater into the sewer system, creating a backlog on the network. The spokesperson said an overflow gully was a drain-like fitting located outside the home, that allowed sewage to overflow away from the interior of a home to an outside area of the property. The sewage will push out through the gully if there is a sewer blockage or the network cannot cope during heavy rain, storms or floods. People should avoid contact with any wastewater and report overflows to GWMWater on 1800 188 586. The floodwater, and threat of flood, has closed some schools, such as Horsham Primary School’s 298 campus in Baillie Street and nearby Holy Trinity Lutheran College. It is also impacting some services across the region.
A Yarriambiack Shire Council spokesperson said Wimmera Mallee Waste trucks were advised not to travel through road closures due to floodwater. The spokesperson asked residents at risk of rising floodwater not to put bins out for collection in coming days. “An additional collection will be co-ordinated for those who miss out when it is safe to do so,” the spokesperson said. The State Government has committed $351-million to flood recovery – including $165-million for emergency road and road infrastructure repairs; and up to $15-million for housing, health and wellbeing, financial and legal counselling alongside practical assistance with accessing grants and completing paperwork, and advice for business owners whose livelihoods have been affected by the floods. Continued page 3
IN THIS ISSUE • O’Brien on world stage • Childcare situation ‘dire’ • Delahunty to coach Giants Phone: 03 5382 1351 Read it online: www.theweeklyadvertiser.com.au
AUDITED: 21,650 COPIES
October 2021 to March 2022
Buy and sell in the West carpark racecourse end
Source: AMAA; CAB Total Distribution Audit for further information visit www.auditedmedia.org.au
Book your site now
(enter from Natimuk Road, Park Drive, plaza side lane will be closed)
Sunday, November 20 10am to 1pm For site bookings call Horsham Plaza centre management office on 5382 0912 or email manager@horshamplaza.com.au
•
•
•
•
Proceeds to...
•
KMART BEST AND LESS SPOTLIGHT REJECT SHOP WIDE RANGE OF SPECIALTY STORES WWW.HORSHAMPLAZA.COM.AU