G'day, it's Digby Rayward, and again, it's my pleasure to present this week's Council Happenings.
Well, I guess there's only one thing to talk about. It's been a challenging time with this recent flood event; it's tested us. I think the last few times I've been speaking with you, it's been raining every time, and it's still raining! This wet weather has lasted for four to six weeks. The ground has been absolutely saturated. Farmers I've spoken to, including myself, agree that you can't get tractors onto the ground without causing damage to the pasture, so it's been a trying time. And then, of course, when the storm event occurred, there was no capacity for the soil to absorb any of this water.
But this time, we were far better prepared than we were 10 years ago, which was an absolute blessing for us.
When we knew that this East Coast low was going to cause us some grief, it was flagged quickly and we had a fair bit of warning. The SES, the rural fire brigades, and Council staff were all on alert and prepared, which was a blessing for us all.
Certainly, the flash flooding that took houses and lives 10 years ago was fortunately not repeated this time, and that was due to the preventative action that had been taken in the past and now. But the river and flooding has certainly been extensive. The flood levels in the Williams and the Paterson took some time to start to recede, and that's because of the pressure from the Hunter. As you know, the Paterson flows into the Hunter at Morpeth and the Williams flows in into the Hunter at Raymond Terrace. So if there's a restriction there, our rivers are slower to get away.
We certainly had plenty of roads and bridges out, and isolation of many people where land slips have blocked roads. But we were indeed lucky that we were spared the extensive flooding and deaths and damage done to our neighbors in the north. My background, of course, is veterinary science, and the current picture for the dairy farmers and the cattle is really stressing on those guys, and we wish them well in their recovery.
The extent of the damage in our Shire is currently being assessed, and we will have a better idea of that in the week or so ahead, but we certainly expect to see major damage to our roads, and we need to be patient as the team sets about repairing the major damage points. We'll be looking for as much funding as we can secure as a result of this damage from the floods. Our assessment teams are preparing that request for funding for us.
We'd like to thank Muswellbrook Council—a big shout out to them. They sent a couple of pothole crews over for a couple of days, which was much appreciated. It shows you the extent to which we reach out to our neighbors and help when we can. So thanks again, Muswellbrook guys.
The federal and state governments have responded quickly with offers of support. And as we now move into the recovery stage, the Reconstruction Authority have been quick to reach out and offer assistance and advice to those that need it. To that extent, they will be holding an open day at the Doug Walters Pavilion on Wednesday, 4 June from 2pm. That's not far away, it's next week. We'll get some further information out as soon as we have it, so keep an eye out for that and please circulate it as appropriate. It would be good if we got some people along and I realise there's some anxious memories from the flood 10 years ago that will be resurfacing in some people. If you're one of those, there will be people at that meeting you may wish to share your thoughts with. So don't be afraid to come along, just have a yarn to anyone.
I've also asked if any ratepayers were isolated and couldn't get to work and lost any money from lack of work and if they are going to be compensated? Now, this may be a negative answer that comes back, but I've asked the question, so let's see what happens with that.
And finally, big thanks to the SES, council workers, RFS and the volunteers that stepped up and worked tirelessly. And being from Clarence Town, a special thanks to the Clarence Town RFS team, well done guys, and well done to you all!
So take care, be patient, and I hope it's not raining when it's my turn to talk with you next time. Cheers.
