NEWS
A proposal has been put forward for “back-flow valves” that its supporters claim would have reduced the massive flooding suffered by New Farm and CBD residents in January.
The proposal comes from retiring city councillor David Hinchliffe and the Labor candidate for his seat, Paul Crowther (pictured below) who have described the council’s flood inquiry as “secretive” and “arrogant”.
They have called on council to act quickly to install back-flow valves to reduce the potential for river floodwaters to travel back up council stormwater drains and flood local properties.
In a joint statement, Cr Hinchliffe and Mr Crowther said: “All of the flooding in New Farm and most of the flooding in the CBD was the result of river floodwaters flowing back up stormwater inlets and flooding streets of New Farm and in the CBD. The council’s inquiry into this flood should have been out in the open. Instead, it meets behind closed doors and treats requests for public hearings with sheer arrogance.”
Paul Crowther added: “There is plenty of international experience to prove that contemporary, state-of-the-art backflow valves could either eliminate this or substantially reduce it.”
Their claims are backed by local engineer Tim Saddington. “These valves do work,” he said. “ They ensure that the stormwater drains drain the land but the river water in times of flood don’t come back up the stormwater system. In the long term, they’ll save residents and the council a lot of money.”
Cr Hinchliffe said he had raised the issue in council for four months since the January floods, asking for council officers, senior councillors and the council’s flood inquiry to meet with local New Farm residents to discuss the issues.
So far, council has refused to attend meetings with groups of local residents. “Residents in Merthyr Road, Welsby Street, Sydney Street and Sargent Street suffered serious flooding because council doesn’t have backflow valves on all drains,” Cr Hinchliffe said. “Restaurants such as Maddigans in Margaret Street lost $100,000 worth of stock and can’t get insurance because the flooding was the result of council drains.
The damage in New Farm and the CBD is estimated in the many millions of dollars. One unit block alone in Sydney Street has an estimated $1million worth of damage.
“New backflow technology makes it much easier to reduce flooding in these areas.” Mr Crowther added: “Residents have a right to have their say with the council experts and decision-makers such as the Lord Mayor.
“However, the Lord Mayor and other senior councillors in civic cabinet have refused to attend public meetings on the issue. They won’t even allow council officers to attend such meetings. “The council inquiry should have been an open and public inquiry, just like the state’s flood commission. Instead, any interviews by the council’s inquiry have been behind closed doors.”
A meeting of residents in Sargent Street New Farm would go ahead within the next few weeks “ without council officers or any member of the LNP Civic Cabinet agreeing to attend”.
