North East Floods

06-September-2010

6/9/2010
The Member for Indi, Sophie Mirabella has slammed the state government for once again proving their lack of insight & care for country Victorians.

Any significant planning for flooding in the North East

Mrs. Mirabella said “With the decommissioning of the Lake Mokoan inlet channel less than a month ago, it is only by good fortune that Benalla wasn’t inundated by floodwaters.”

Even though Lake Mokoan wall was demolished last year the retention of the inlet channel would have provided additional flood mitigation for Benalla.

Mrs. Mirabella, along with local state parliamentarians, is concerned about the impact a wet spring will have on Benalla.

Mrs. Mirabella said “with the ground already saturated to capacity and a wet spring forecast Benalla may not yet be out of trouble.”

This current blunder has been compounded by the Brumby Government’s refusal to seriously consider the increasing of Lake Buffalo as both a water storage facility and a water flow device.

As recently as July the Brumby government was once again reminded that Lake Buffalo would only take three days worth of good rain to fill and with the lake only capable of holding 6% of the median annual flow, there is plenty of scope to improve environmental and irrigation need for more sustained periods.

The Murray Darling Basin commission, itself, has confirmed that the excuse used by the government is a Furphy as the Basin Cap specifically deals with allocation and not storage.

Mrs. Mirabella finished by saying “The Brumby government needs to get over it’s belief that it can create new water and listen to those North of the divide and create a facility that can ensure a continued and reliable water supply during dry periods as well as a flood mitigation program for North East Victoria”