This week the City of Ballarat will continue to conduct post-impact damage assessment following last week’s flooding events that caused substantial damage throughout Victoria.
Areas in Miners Rest, Learmonth, Cardigan and along the western fringes of the City’s boundaries were among the most affected.
The greater Ballarat region generally received between 80mm and 110mm of rain.
The City of Ballarat has been made aware of one property that was inundated with water in Miners Rest, while some others sustained driveway, water tank, garden bed or fencing damage.
The City’s Municipal Emergency Management team had prepared to open an emergency relief centre in Miners Rest, but it was ultimately not required.
The emergency team also delivered truckloads of sand to Miners Rest and the State Emergency Service depot in Gillies Street.
Crews also worked into the night to install signage and close roads where water was present.
A multi-agency Incident Control Centre was established in Sebastopol on Thursday morning, with City of Ballarat acting as a support agency to the State Emergency Service, Victoria Police, fire agencies, Ambulance Victoria, Department of Transport, water authorities, and other councils.
City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Daniel Moloney, visited the flood affected areas in Miners Rest and Cardigan Village on both Thursday and Friday.
He said he witnessed outstanding displays of resilience and community spirit.
“Neighbours have been looking out for each other and helping our overwhelmed crews clear out gutters, and providing sandwiches to those working throughout the night,” Cr Moloney said.
“Our teams have also appreciated farmers and businesses donating their time, tractors and materials such as hay bales to help hold back the water in Miners Rest. Our local CFA volunteers have also been brilliant.”
Cr Moloney urged the community to continue to band together and show support for each other.
“We know this is a particularly difficult time for many people and we have to be realistic that there might be more challenges just around the corner,” he said.
“We want our residents to know we are working around the clock to recover and are ready to help in any way possible.
“We can’t thank our SES volunteers and emergency services enough for the work they do in keeping as many people as safe as possible.”
Road repairs and drainage
The City of Ballarat is working towards trying to re-open water impacted roads as quickly as possible.
The flooding severely impacted some of our roads and reserves, creating large potholes, wash outs, edge breaks and removing sections of road seal.
Our road crews continue to assess the damage and prioritise repairs. We ask motorists to take caution, drive to the conditions, and be patient as we work to repair the flood damage to our road network over the coming months.
The City of Ballarat is also responding to requests to improve drainage in some areas. We are working to prioritise requests and begin repairs to our drainage system.
Looking forward
The City of Ballarat’s Municipal Emergency Management team is preparing for potentially similar weather situations over the coming months.
With water storages already full and grounds already sodden, heavy downpours have the potential to turn into flooding events.
The Bureau of Meteorology climate outlook, released late last week, forecasts the current La Nina weather pattern to continue into early 2023.
There is also a forecast for more rain towards the end of this week.
What should people do during a flood event?
If your property is currently at risk of flooding and you are seeking immediate assistance including to arrange sand bags, please call VICSES on 132 500.
Is anyone’s life in danger? Call 000
Are you seeking emergency help in a flood or storm because:
A tree has fallen and caused structural damage to your home or vehicle?
There is damage to your roof or it is leaking significantly?
A tree or large branch has fallen and is preventing you from entering or leaving your home?
Your property is flooded or about to flood?
