Numurkah’s community has been let down by Moira Shire Council’s slow implementation of flood mitigation infrastructure, potentially putting homes and lives at risk.
The findings were part of a report into Moira Shire Council released this week, which resulted in the council being sacked by the Victorian Government.
The report said a community-led floodplain management study and plan conducted following serious flooding in March 2012 recommended a new levee bank to protect the town.
Nearly five years on from the decision to pursue a levee bank, the report said little had happened to implement the recommended option.
While funds have been set aside in council’s 2022-23 budget to implement stage one of the levee bank construction, there has been no assurance that the following two stages will be funded.
The Federal Government in late November 2022 confirmed a funding contribution of $2.38 million for stage one.
The new levee bank cannot be fully effective against a major flood event until all stages have been implemented.
“Had the recent flood event extended into Numurkah, wreaking devastation similar to 2012, council would have had much to answer for,” the report said.
The report said both councillors and the council administration were at fault for the delay
Former mayor Libro Mustica told the commission of his frustration with the slow progress towards construction of the levee bank and placed much of the responsibility for the delay with the council administration.
“I told the CEO that if Numurkah floods again, we’re going to be in deep trouble,” Mr Mustica told the commissioners who wrote the report.
He also told commissioners Numurkah was not the only town at risk.
The report agreed with Mr Mustica’s assessment that the community was bearing risks of another flood event.
“The community has provided the leadership for the project and has little to show for its efforts,” the report said.
“Council is carrying significant risk and liability not just for potential property damage but also for potential loss of life.”