By Mitchell Clarke
Frustrated farmers are calling for culverts to be installed along Ballarto Road, in a bid to prevent extreme flooding on their properties.
A week after wild weather struck the Cardinia Shire, paddocks and properties along the stretch of road were still inundated with deep floodwaters.
The floodwaters, which were believed to be about 500 millimetres at their deepest point, destroyed crops and left starving cows without food for up to three days.
Brothers John and Geoff Hobson have lived on Ballarto Road for decades and said the flooding isn’t anything out of the ordinary.
“We’ve been here a long time and we’ve seen the same situation. The road is so high so it’s just a levy bank,” John said.
“I’ve lost crops – some corn and the asparagus which I’ve got underway is also possibly ruined … This flooding certainly doesn’t do it any good.”
Upstream water from the nearby creek and stormwater drains is a significant factor in the area’s flooding.
The brothers, along with neighbouring residents, believe a culvert needs to be implemented.
“There’s a culvert under the road at Cardinia Road, so why is there no culvert here,” Geoff added.
“Common sense says if you’re going to maintain the quality of the road, why would you not protect the road with a culvert? Why would you want the water to run over the road and for the road to deteriorate?
“You can’t stop a natural water cause. VicRoads have put a road up too high and it needs culverts under it and that’s why we’re drowning up here, it should be all gone.”
Residents are calling on Melbourne Water, VicRoads and Cardinia Shire Council to come together to find a solution.
“They’re able to pass the buck on to one another, so that’s what they are doing,” Geoff said.
“I’m at the end of my tether. All we want is these authorities to get together to actually talk about the development of the area and find a solution.”
The Gazette understands that Melbourne Water is responsible for drainage in the area, but roadside drains are the responsibility of VicRoads and Cardinia Shire Council.
Melbourne Water’s regional services south east manager Sarah Eggleton said the area was prone to floods due to its low lying topography.
“Recent record rainfall means that surrounding soils are fully saturated and runoff is contributing to the flooding,” Ms Eggleton said.
“Crews are responding to community concerns of flooding in the area. We have inspected drains and not found any blockages and are carrying out an assessment to inform a flood response at the site and its surrounds.
“Melbourne Water will continue to work with Vic Roads, council and the community to address and manage flood impacts across the catchment.”
VicRoads carried out road works in 2016, which improved drainage, however a Department of Transport spokesperson said “further alterations” to the road wouldn’t resolve flooding issues.
“We will inspect all roadside drains to make sure they’re working optimally, and we continue to provide support to Cardinia Shire Council and Melbourne Water in their management of the broader flooding impacts,” the spokesperson said.
According to Cardinia Shire Council, only a “small 300 metre section of roadside” within the Cardinia township is their responsibility.
“Council inspected this site earlier this week and can confirm there are no current drainage defects for action,” a council spokesperson said.
Away from the blame game, residents said the majority of water, which lasted about a week, had subsided, however the effects will continue to be felt.
Geoff has been forced to move his cattle to a more suitable location, facing out of pocket costs to agist his animals.
“This water lies on here for too long, the grass goes sour and I have no feed … It’s certainly not edible for cattle,” he explained.
“The whole thing is going to bugger my ground up. It’s inconvenient and will take a couple of months until it is back to normal.”
