Goulburn flood fear

The catchment farmers say the storage level in Lake Eildon (currently about 97 per cent) is too high and has insufficient room to be able to manage heavy rain inflows. This means any inflows will have to be released, adding to the river height downstream.

They also warn that towns downstream, including Shepparton, could be placed at risk of a repeat of last October’s floods.

G-MW has been releasing between 11,000 Ml/day and 12,000 Ml/day in response to tributary flows with the aim of reducing Eildon’s level to 94 per cent by August 1.

They have also shifted the target filling date to November 1, instead of October 1.

Ed Meggitt’s Goulburn River Trout business at Thornton, which employs 25 people, suffered catastrophic damage in last October’s floods.

He suffered a $2 million hit to the business and doesn’t want to see a repetition.

“It is our contention that G-MW is not giving significant weight to its responsibilities regarding flood mitigation,” Mr Meggitt said in a submission to the Victorian Parliament.

“Given the forecasts available last year (the El Niño Southern Oscillation), the IOD (or Indian Ocean Dipole), and SAM (Southern Annular Mode) were all indicating a wet spring, the fact that they ran the lake up so high in winter and spring of 2022 was a mistake at best or negligent at worst,” he said.

“We hope that the parliamentary inquiry will recommend that G-MW pays more attention to the legislation requiring it to implement strategies to mitigate flooding — holding the lake at 100 per cent of capacity in late winter/spring does not meet this obligation.”

Mr Meggitt said G-MW’s management changes announced last week were a step in the right direction, but not enough.

“The consensus around here is that we should be aiming for about 90 per cent in December, which would leave enough room to account for heavy rains in spring.”

Beef farmer Stuart Gilmore lives only 100 metres away from the Goulburn River at Thornton, and admits to being nervous with Eildon being close to full and rain falling on most days in June.

“We lost fences, livestock, machinery and irrigation pumps. The pastures were under water for about a month,” Mr Gilmore said about the October floods.

“Now, the way it is headed, it is going to happen again.”

A fourth generation farmer, the property has always lived with the threat of floods, but with the construction of Eildon, the new dam was supposed to offer flood mitigation, and he thinks the management should reflect the intention.

“Going into spring with 95 per cent full, is just asking for trouble.

“We’re just waiting for the next big one.”

G-MW water resources manager Mark Bailey said G-MW would continue to monitor weather and catchment conditions and adjust filling targets and release rates.

“G-MW has reduced releases from 12,000 Ml per day in response to increased tributary flows,” Dr Bailey said.

“Releases are currently at 11,000 Ml per day (as of June 27) and are likely to resume at 12,000 Ml per day in the coming days after these tributaries fall.

“These releases are expected to continue through July. Minor adjustments will be made to accommodate any increased inflows downstream of Eildon and to minimise bank erosion.”

Dr Bailey said downstream impacts were a key consideration to any releases of water from Lake Eildon, particularly as private land is affected before the minor flood levels are reached.

“Due to a wet catchment and rainfall in June, G-MW has moved to the wet operating scenario when determining its filling targets, in line with its obligations under the Victorian Water Act 1989.”

The new scenario aims to have Eildon full by November 1 instead of October 1.

Mr Meggitt said the water authorities were putting too much store in the forecast El Niño event, when there was no guarantee this would eventuate.

The Goulburn River landholders have lobbied Victorian Water Minister Harriet Shing to exercise her emergency powers to bring down the Eildon level.

However they have complained that the minister is not responding to their letters.

To read G-MW’s explanation for their storage management, go to the Country News website at: www.countrynews.com.au