Koondrook levee funding welcomed

Published on 09 September 2024

Construction of a flood protection levee along Gunbower Parade at Koondrook will occur after Gannawarra Shire Council successfully received Federal Government funding.

The National Emergency Management Agency announced in late August that the Federal Government would invest $851,774 in the project, which is the first in a series of planned stages to construct a levee network to mitigate the risk of riverine flooding in the Koondrook township.

“Council thanks the Federal Government for supporting this important project, which will provide peace of mind for Koondrook residents during times of major flooding,” Council Chief Executive Officer, Geoff Rollinson said.

As part of the first stage of works, the height of Gunbower Parade will be raised and supporting drainage infrastructure will be installed to provide protection from flood events where water levels reach the 1% Annual Exceedance Probability level.

“The construction of this levee will eliminate the need to build temporary levees along Gunbower Parade in any future flood events, such as what occurred during the 2022 floods,” Mr Rollinson said.

“As we saw with the 2022 floods, although temporary levees provide protection, they can take considerable amount of time to remove, meaning residents located near these structures have reduced access to neighbouring roads.

“Permanent levees, like what have been constructed to protect the Kerang and Quambatook townships, provide reassurance for residents during floods.  This is also the first step towards being able to remove restrictive planning controls that govern floor levels within the township.”

The raising of Gunbower Parade to provide protection from future floods was one of the options identified during development of the Koondrook Township Flood Study. Conducted in 2019 thanks to funding from Emergency Management Victoria’s 2017/18 Natural Disaster Resilience Grant Scheme, the study identified levees already in existence and areas where flood mitigation improvements are required.

“Once completed, the Koondrook Township Levee will extend along the banks of Gunbower Creek and the Murray River from Gunbower Parade to Cassidy Lane, which will provide protection for Koondrook and its residents,” Mr Rollinson said.

The Koondrook Development Committee, which has been working with Council to improve the town’s levee network, welcomed the funding announcement.

“In 2022 the Murray River at Barham was recorded at exceeding major flood level for over nine weeks. Water from the Murray River backed up into the Gunbower Creek and required emergency earthworks along Gunbower Parade to reinforce the existing levee,” committee chairperson, Thomas Chick said.

“The Koondrook community and the Koondrook CFA worked tirelessly throughout this time to patrol the levee and fill sandbags to keep the town safe. 

“Completing the Gunbower Parade levee will be a welcome relief for Koondrook.

“The Koondrook Development Committee will continue to work with Council to support ongoing applications to fund the completion of all stages of the Koondrook levee system.”

ABOVE: A temporary flood protection levee was built along Gunbower Parade, Koondrook during the 2022 floods.