Welcome back to the McPherson Media Group live blog, covering flooding across the Goulburn Valley, Campaspe Valley and Murray River.
We’ll have links to stories from across the region in the blog across the day.
A reminder: the most recent news updates are at the top of this blog. As you scroll down, you’ll be travelling backwards in time.
Ensure you stay across alerts on the Vic Emergency app, the Victoria SES website or calling 132 500 if you urgently need assistance. Call 000 in an emergency and remember to never drive through or enter floodwaters.
If you need to contact us, please email editor@sheppnews.com.au or call (03) 5831 2312.
UPDATE, 5.40pm: Wrapping up
The meeting is wrapping up and so is the blog.
I’ve put together this gallery from News photographer Rechelle Zammit’s movements today.
There’s also this gallery from the team at The Riv - who are facing the same situation ahead of them as we have over the past week or so.
Thanks for joining us today, I’ll leave you with this important story.
Among the uplifting stories of the past week or so, the floods have also brought a measure of heartbreak for the region with a new wave of homeless added to a queue that had persisted for some time.
Murray Silby has investigated the impact of the floods on a community that was already facing a housing crisis, including the plight of Sakunthala "Rita" Armugam, her husband Sivasegaran, and their three boys aged 10, nine and six, the reluctant faces of Shepparton’s latest wave of homelessness.
UPDATE, 5.30pm: Power
Power poles are being checked for stability across the region - the soft ground that topples trees could also affect power poles, but it is less likely.
The lowest point around the Mooroopna Substation is now about 12.5m after some round-the-clock works to build up a levee.
UPDATE, 5.20pm: Questions from the crowd
Lots of questions coming through about the water still remaining in the low-lying streets of Mooroopna.
There’s a lot of tension in the room - understandably for some residents who still have water in their houses, let along their streets - and it seems like it may be five-seven days before all of the water can be pumped out.
UPDATE, 5.10pm: Clean up continues
There will be a big push for more flood rubbish collection tomorrow, but the council is aware that not everyone will be cleaning up at the same pace.
Crews of helpers will be a regular fixture for some time to come.
UPDATE, 4.58pm: Relief updates
There are under 50 people remaining in the emergency relief centre at the McIntosh Centre at the Shepparton Showgrounds, and less than 20 at the Ballantyne Centre at Tatura Park.
Around 1800 food packs were distributed within two days earlier this week.
UPDATE, 4.55pm: More news
Power and drinking water are all good across the Greater Shepparton area.
Sewerage remains an issue in the south-west corner of Mooroopna, where the water still is across a few streets.
UPDATE, 4.50pm: Health
The key points here are that there is a Primary Care Clinic at the Shepparton Showgrounds if you need it.
It’s open from 7am-7pm.
Mozzies and mould are also big talking points. Repel one, safely clean the other.
UPDATE, 4.46pm: Weather and water
Shepparton is at 10.49 but shouldn’t get to 11m in the Goulburn River.
Murchison is down under 10m.
Flows from Lake Eildon have dropped right down, and by tonight Goulburn-Murray Water will only be releasing 12,000ML per day.
G-MW will be mobilising crews to assess and repair levee breaches at Loch Garry tomorrow, with bars continuing to be replaced in line with the operating rules.
UPDATE, 4.45pm: Police wrap
Around 80 roads remain closed across the region.
The Murchison Bridge is open to light vehicles and foot traffic - but importantly, it has been stated tonight that it is only for locals to use at this stage.
UPDATE, 4.40pm Sunday: Watch out for trees
A key message from Shepparton incident controller Ray Jasper is to watch out for trees throughout the potential storms this week.
The roots are waterlogged and it won’t take much for them to fall over.
UPDATE, 4.30pm Sunday: Community meeting in Mooroopna
James Kleeman is over in Mooroopna at the community meeting which is about to be live-streamed on council’s Facebook page.
He’ll have a full wrap of any new information for you when he can, and I’ll provide any updates here before signing off on the blog for today.
UPDATE, 3.45pm Sunday: One of the more unusual rescue vessels
Stories continue to emerge of heart warming rescues as Shepparton residents awoke to rising flood waters around their houses on Sunday, October 16.
One of the more unusual was of Heather Hurst in a wheelbarrow.
Miss Hurst’s neighbours, Rob and Joy Gardam, who also happen to be her landlord and lady, stepped up to not only save what they could in their own home, but to also assist their tenant in a flat behind their house.
“She didn’t have a lot of choice, but she thought it was quite wonderful, she was waving to everyone. It was a bit of humour in a bad situation,” Mrs Gardam said.
Although extremely grateful for the assistance, when asked if the SES should adopt the method, Miss Hurst was unequivocal.
“No, I wouldn’t advise it. The photo shows you,” she told the News.
UPDATE, 2.45pm Sunday: A look north
Rechelle has made her way north of Shepparton - but not very far.
Plenty of roads are cut off as water keeps Bunbartha and its surrounds isolated.
Speaking of isolated, the community of Barmah is feeling exactly that.
Co-chair of the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria Aunty Geraldine Atkinson has spoken to Murray Silby about fears for her home town of Barmah, which is under an emergency evacuation warning.
Aunty Geraldine said the flooded Murray River is “creeping into the township” and that the waiting game is causing a lot of stress for residents.
“We’re not sure what is coming next. It’s the not knowing and it really is stressful, the wait and see,” she said.
UPDATE, 2.20pm Sunday: ICC not going anywhere yet
Further updates from ICC controller Ray Jasper.
"We're still going to be here 24/7 through until tomorrow with thunderstorms and potential heavy rain patchy across the catchment," Mr Jasper said.
"We'll see what that does to our creeks and rivers, we'll make an assessment on that tomorrow night into Tuesday.
"We need to get the water to have cleared through Bunbartha and into Barmah which won't be until the end of the week, so at least until the end of the week but we'll certainly let the community know."
UPDATE, 2.05pm Sunday: Warnings for Seymour, Barmah
A moderate flood warning is being issued for Emily St in Seymour.
The Goulburn River is currently at 6m in the area and slowly rising. It is not expected to reach 6.5m, but from 6.1m upwards it will affect some houses in the street.
It is also too late to leave for Barmah and Lower Moira.
An evacuation warning remains current, and if you are in the area you should shelter in the highest location possible.
UPDATE, 2pm Sunday: Word from the ICC
Every time I type ICC I wonder what the International Cricket Council is thinking about all the of the extra Google Alerts they must be getting from Shepparton at the moment.
News reporter James Kleeman spoke to the more relevant ICC earlier, and here’s some of what he has coming for you in way of an update.
Emergency services have warned it remains unsafe to return to Bunbartha and its surrounding townships, with several roads still cut off throughout the area.
Shepparton incident control centre controller Ray Jasper said the emergency warning would remain in place until Monday at least.
“Unfortunately, we’ve tried to get into Bunbartha to assess the roads but looking at that emergency warning, that will be current for the next 24 hours,” Mr Jasper said.
“The community is still isolated, road access is still cut so that emergency warning will have to stay on until we can open the roads and make sure it’s safe to travel.”
If you have not yet evacuated Bunbartha, you should shelter in the highest location possible.
A relief centre has been opened at Nathalia Community Centre at 42 Robinson St.
The rest of the story will be linked below when it is ready - in fact, due to the magic of the internet I can see it there now but you won’t be able to until it is finished.
UPDATE, 1.50pm Sunday: Services
The Ardmona and Shepparton resource recovery centres will be open until 4.30pm today.
Both locations shut for a short period of time earlier this afternoon to ensure they could remain open longer towards the end of the day.
V/Line updates have also just recently come through.
Services between Southern Cross and Seymour are back up and running - although maintenance works mean coaches are replacing trains on some evening services between today and Wednesday.
Replacement coach services are operating between Shepparton and Southern Cross, although they remain unable to stop at Mooroopna or Murchison East due to residual flood water and accessibility issues.
UPDATE, 1.10pm Sunday: Through the lens
The galleries we have been putting together each day seem to be resonating with all of you out there - and here’s another.
This is what News photographer Rechelle Zammit saw in Mooroopna and Undera yesterday.
UPDATE, 12.15pm Sunday: Word from Echuca-Moama
The Twin Towns are bracing for the peak of the Murray River - expected to be around 95-95.2m above sea level sometime overnight into early tomorrow morning.
But that certainly hasn’t dampened the spirits of some residents.
Check out these videos from Riv reporter Bransen Gibson of what one commenter described as a stirring tribute to Splendour in the Mud.
Watch out for the yarn later on today.
UPDATE, 11.55am Sunday: More photos
Rechelle is continuing to make her way around town.
Here’s a look at Emma St, Craigmuir Lake and Gemmill Swamp.
UPDATE, 11.20am Sunday: ICYMI
While I devote some brainpower towards tomorrow’s paper, a reminder that you can read Friday’s paper online.
Click through the link below to reach the digital replica.
https://www.sheppnews.com.au/pressreader/
UPDATE, 11.05am Sunday: More from Mooroopna
The meeting this afternoon will be held at Riverlinks Westside.
And here’s what Lenne St currently looks like this morning.
UPDATE, 11am Sunday: Latest from Vic Emergency
Along with a 4.30pm community meeting in Mooroopna today there’s a few others across the region.
This includes one in Seymour at 2pm.
There are plenty of current warnings in place for the region.
A renewed minor flood warning has been issued for Kialla West, with rainfall upstream along Seven Creeks towards Euroa likely to send the river rising again overnight.
The Seven Creeks at Kialla West is currently 4.85m and in a state of minor flooding. It is likely to reach 5m and moderate flooding Sunday evening, and could rise further tomorrow.
It remains not safe to return to Bunbartha and its surrounding townships.
An evacuation warning remains current and it is too late to leave if you have not evacuated.
A flood watch warning is in place for the Broken River downstream of Casey’s Weir.
A low pressure system is likely to bring more rainfall throughout the day and could see river rises in the catchment area of minor to moderate flooding levels.
Minor flooding continues along the Goulburn River from Murchison to Shepparton and is remaining at a steady level.
UPDATE, 10.30am Sunday: Water over roads in Mooroopna
Rechelle has made her way to Mooroopna, where a number of streets still have significant amounts of water in them.
The below photo is from Hall St.
Meanwhile, Greater Shepparton City Council as addressed the situation in Lenne St,.
“A significant amount of water is still sitting in the Lenne Street, Moooroopna area,” Council posted this morning.
“We are aware of the issue and are doing everything we can to pump the water away as quickly as possible. It will take a few days, so please remain patient.
“Portable toilets are located at Stanley Street, Mooroopna and 73 Hall Street, Mooroopna.
“If you need immediate assistance for flooding call VICSES on 132 500.”
UPDATE, 10.10am Sunday: Welcome
Good morning everyone, Tyler Maher here to bring you another day of live coverage.
We’re kicking off slightly later this morning to be able to bring you some updates from a community meeting in Mooroopna this evening.
Also, I had to finish my third listen of Midnights before I could focus - for the record, Anti-Hero is the best track on there and I will not be accepting notes on the matter.
For a wrap of the past couple of days of content, click through to the live blogs below.
News photographer Rechelle Zammit is out and about this morning and will be bringing you updates from behind the lens.