INSIDE: MORE FLOOD COVERAGE, NEW EXHIBITION AT THE MUSEUM
Council News Issue No: 112
CITY OF WAGGA WAGGA
FIRST PRINTED SATURDAY 17 SEPTEMBER 2016
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FLOOD RESPONSE: Council staff install a pump that helps lower the water level of Wollundry Lagoon during storm events when there is a high river. The current flood event required the set-up and monitoring of 13 temporary pumps across the Local Government Area. HIGH RIVER (inset): The Murrumbidgee River on Monday 12 September at Wagga Beach.
Around-the-clock response The City of Wagga Wagga continues to provide a concentrated and controlled effort to the current minor flood event at Wagga. Since flood warnings started about two weeks ago, Council has been carrying out around-the-clock flood response and preparation works. Council has carried out seven 24-hour shifts and on all other days crews have worked minimum eight-hour shifts carrying out flood-preparation tasks.
Council also continues to work with the State Emergency Service (SES), which is the lead agency for the flood response. When flooding occurs it impacts the entire Wagga Wagga Local Government Area (LGA), from Humula to Galore. Staff are deployed across the LGA to carry out a range of response tasks, from monitoring roads for road closures and road maintenance, levee and flood gate inspections, pump set-ups, creating clay stockpiles and filling sandbags for emergency levee construction. “Residents should be confident in Council’s response right across the LGA. Crews have been monitoring road closures, inspecting and maintaining levees and ensuring
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all preventative maintenance measures are in place. Our primary concern is the general safety of residents in all affected communities,” Acting General Manager Robert Knight said. “These precautionary actions have been out in place to ensure that Council will be as prepared as possible.” As well as people-power, Council has had 13 temporary pumps set up in locations across the city to help pump stormwater out of the urban area and into the Murrumbidgee River. Council’s efforts will also continue after the water subsides. “Considering record rainfalls this winter and the current flood event, a
number of our local roads have suffered damage,” Supervisor Wearing Operations Lee Shoemark said. “We’ve had road maintenance staff out every day assessing conditions and responding to ensure the roads are in a safe and useable condition. “Pothole repairs are a temporary repair to make the road surface safe. We would like to remind motorists to drive to conditions and be patient with Council while we work on bringing the road network back to a useable state.” A full list of road closures are available at wagga.nsw.gov.au/roads. Updates on the current minor flood event at Wagga are available at www.bom.gov.au/nsw/warnings/ and www.ses.nsw.gov.au.
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