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www.wangarattachronicle.com.au
Wednesday, September 6, 2023
Discontent flows in valley
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‘Yes’ voices united in city
Page 3
Pages 14-15
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GUIDE LET THE RIVER RUN: Landholders on the King River including (from left) Allan Evans, Brett Hennessy and Lidia Sartori, say a massive build-up of debris in the river is disrupting its flow and causing damage to private property and natural habitat. They are calling on the North East Catchment Management Authority to do something about it. PHOTO: Anita McPherson
King Valley landholders are calling ffor urgent action amid g g erosion and flooding g of p concerns of ongoing private land LANDHOLDERS whose h properties have been damaged by flooding in the King River, exacerbated by a build-up of debris, have called on the North East Catchment Management Authority (NECMA) to take urgent action. A dozen land owners whose properties front the King River between Fosangs Lane and Gentle Annie Lane in Whitfield have incurred repeated damage to paddocks, fencing and infrastructure from flooding
BY ANITA McPHERSON amcpherson@ nemedia.com.au
as debris remains uncleared from previous flood events and tonnes of gravel piles up, pushing the river deeper into their properties. Property owner Brett Hennessy, whose great grandparents were among the first settlers in the area, said while flooding is a normal and accepted
occurrence on th the river, i it has become worse in the last few years since debris had been left to accumulate. He said now sharp bends and whirlpools have been created which are gouging into the river bank, tearing the natural vegetation from the banks and destroying the habitat. “The floods seem to happen more often and they last longer (before receding), and now they are even undermining mature trees,” he said.
done “If nothing thi iis d about it there is a chance trees will be lost and some properties may be flooded or cut off.” Fellow landholder Allan Evans said one particular pile of rock sediment has created an island and choked the river, blocking its natural flow and forcing high energy water into the banks. He said debris has created an impenetrable snag, and up to 70 metres across the river is affected. “The river has only got to
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be up half b h lf a metre t now and d the water is covering our paddocks (in the way it would during a major flood),” he said. “Everything changed after the last flood event in 2020.” A total of 13 local landholders wrote to NECMA and signed a petition asking the authority to address the problem back in 2020, and an inspection was subsequently organised with NECMA representatives. ■ Continued page 5
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