Cumbungi blocking the Loddon River near the railway bridge at Kerang.
Attempts to address a flood issue in the Loddon River basin are facing a tangle of government departments and regulations.
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A community group fears another major flood on the river could see a repeat of the 2022 inundation when 27 homes were hit.
The group wants to see vegetation cleared in a waterway that runs parallel to the Loddon River.
It is now 20 months since the Central Murray Environmental Floodplains Group became involved in trying to address the vegetative blockage in the Loddon River between the Patchell Bridges and the Sheepwash and Kerang weirs.
The blockage has progressively developed since the 2011 floods, and the committee believes it was a major contributing factor to the inundation of 27 homes on farmland.
The floodplains group established a working committee to find a practical solution. but has spent the past 20 months navigating government departments, regulations and approvals simply to try to clear cumbungi, cane grass and lignum growing on the substantial silt deposits left by successive floods.
Committee president Geoff Kendell said they were advised that a Works on Waterways Permit through the North Central Catchment Management Authority was required before any works could be undertaken.
“This led to further investigations into land ownership and management responsibilities involving DEECA (the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action), Parks Victoria, the North Central Catchment Management Authority and Gannawarra Shire Council.
“The result has been an extraordinary amount of handballing between government agencies, with one department telling us we need approval from another, while the other says it is not responsible.
“Gannawarra Shire Council in their own submission to the Victorian parliamentary inquiry into the 2022 flood event stated that the priority was to mend the banks, inspect and clear the floodways.”
In correspondence with the group, the North Central CMA said it was willing to support the selective lignum removal subject to strict conditions; however, it insists that before it could be approved, consent would have to be obtained from DEECA, Parks Victoria, Gannawarra Shire Council and cultural heritage approvals.
DEECA has suggested a flood study be added to that list.
Ganawarra Shire Council has told the committee the council is not in a position to provide consent for the proposed works.
“Council’s involvement is limited to providing pre-planning advice and entering pre-planning permit discussions between agencies,” a council officer wrote.
“Based on the advice provided by NCCMA, the next step would be to obtain the required approvals and consents from the relevant authorities, including DEECA, Parks Victoria and any cultural heritage requirements.
“Once those matters have been addressed and the approvals pathway is confirmed, the next step would be to engage with council through the pre-planning process so the proposal can be reviewed and advice provided regarding whether a planning permit is required.”
Mr Kendell said the 2022 flood demonstrated what happened when the Loddon River could not move water efficiently.
With only one span of the Loddon River bridge clear at the time, the western bank eventually broke. According to Murray-Darling Basin Authority figures, the Loddon River continued to rise, while people west of Kerang were flooded out within about 24 hours as the estimated 5000-megalitre floodplain pond filled.
“For affected families, the consequences lasted for months, with homes, belongings, livestock and infrastructure damaged and floodwaters taking many months to recede,” Mr Kendell said.
“Our concern is that the underlying problem has still not been addressed.
“Our committee has sought to address the river from Benjeroop through to Kerang, but has concentrated on the major blockage because clearing this section would allow floodwater to move progressively along its natural watercourse towards the Murray River.”
Country News asked the CMA about the committee’s frustrations with getting action on the vegetation blockage.
“Members of the community have presented a few possible options that may or may not mitigate flood risk from Old Kerang Rd through to Kerang Weir,” CMA floodplain manager Camille White said in response.
“We successfully applied for Regional Flood Risk Reduction Grant Program funding to model these options to see if they do make a difference, and that work will begin soon.
“Flood mitigation works can have negative impacts on upstream or downstream communities, so all relevant views and information must be taken into consideration before commencing.”
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