Politics & Council
17 March, 2024
Upper catchment has risk warning gap
WARNINGS before the October 2022 flood had been inaccurate for Newbridge, Loddon Shire chief executive officer Lincoln Fitzgerald told Ms Symes when she announced funding in the town on Friday. Mr Fitzgerald said residents had been told to prepare...
WARNINGS before the October 2022 flood had been inaccurate for Newbridge, Loddon Shire chief executive officer Lincoln Fitzgerald told Ms Symes when she announced funding in the town on Friday.
Mr Fitzgerald said residents had been told to prepare for moderate flooding only for a major flood warning to be issued at 5am on October 14. He was backed by Mayor Gavan Holt who told Ms Symes and NCCMA boss Brad Drust that communities did not accept poor warnings.
NCCMA waterways and floodplain project manager Nathan Treloar said towns in the lower Loddon catchment had weeks to prepare for floods but upper Loddon areas - that include Newbridge and Bridgewater - had only hours.
Mr Treloar said current warnings issued by the Bureau of Meteorology were based on readings at Appin South.
“That’s good for Kerang ... for the rest of the catchment there’s northing ... a significant lack of information,” Mr Treloar said in Newbridge.