The Ververis family own a property downstream of Stevens Weir that is already heavily impacted by current floodwaters and torrid weather patterns.
The property is 445 hectares, of which 202ha is completely under water.
The family has owned the property for 19 years and already lived through the dire times brought on by the 2016 floods, which Arthur Ververis described as “significant”.
Mr Ververis recalls those floods as “non-stop; the levels just kept rising and rising and we were driving over paddocks and fences in boats.”
“A slow death” is how he describes the current flood situation, having to watch and react day by day and “we just keep praying for a reprieve”, he said.
The family’s priority is protecting their home using sandbags and their expensive crops and stock with levees they put in place in preparation for any flood conditions after learning from 2016.
Mr Ververis thanked SES Unit Controller Jodie Graham for her support saying, “Jodie has been amazing and very sympathetic, we can’t thank her enough.
“She has delivered sand and sandbags to our door where previously we had to drive through flood water with trailers to get sand to fill the bags.”
If not for the flood situation, farmers would be rejoicing at a third year in a row of high yielding crops, which Mr Ververis said “is unheard of”.
To defend his property he has topped up his levees, checked boundary fences and cleared debris, filled sandbags in readiness, checked his crops and stock daily and said, “we have done everything we possibly could”.
The river levels were at 5.28m in September, they are currently at 6.28m, and although reacting daily to any changes, farmers in the area believe November is the month to be most concerned about.
With Dartmouth Dam full for the first time in 26 years, the Hume Dam brimming and Eildon also releasing water, Mr Ververis believes in hindsight that knowledge gained from the 2016 floods could have been better utilised by authorities to prepare for this current situation.
It is a rise and reprieve pattern and further rainfall reduces control authorities have on the water levels.
The Bureau of Meteorology advises minor flooding continues at Deniliquin.
The Edward River at Deniliquin may reach near 6.5m tomorrow or Thursday, with minor flooding.
The Edward River at Stevens Weir downstream gauge is steady around 6.25m, with moderate flooding.
Based on predictions from the Bureau of Meteorology, the following areas may be impacted by dangerous floodwaters:
• Aljoes Lane;
• The causeway at Sandhurst Island Estate and Dahwilly Lane;
Chippenham Park Access Road;
• Island Sanctuary (nature reserve) near the footbridge;
• Low-lying areas of McLeans Beach Caravan Park;
• Minor roads and low-lying bridges;
• Farming and rural areas;
• McLeans Beach Caravan Park; and
• McLeans Beach sewerage pump station.
The SES advises people stay informed about the predicted widespread minor flooding on the Edwards River.
The Murray River at Wakool Junction may reach near 9.70m late this week, with minor flooding.
The Bureau of Meteorology says land owners and farmers adjacent to rivers and creeks should monitor river levels and the weather, as they may be impacted by dangerous floodwaters.
People in the Barham and surrounding area are advised not to enter floodwater due to predicted widespread moderate flooding.
The SES says they should monitor the situation as it is constantly changing, avoiding floodwater for their own safety and that of others.
The Murray River at Barham may reach near 6.05m from today, with moderate flooding.
Based on predictions from the Bureau of Meteorology, the following areas may be impacted by dangerous floodwaters:
• Low-lying minor roads and bridges; and
• Low-lying farming and rural areas.