With the recent aniversary of the February 2011 floods the following community forum -details below from webpage listed in links-organised by the local environment group LIVE is very timely .
I have accepted an invitation to speak as a Glen Eira councillor - with the vast majority of run-off coming from our muncipality this is an increasingly important issue and one that was raised at last Thursday's community plan forum in Ormond.
The Elwood Floods Forum will be held as follows:
7pm-9pm Monday 26 March 2012
Phoenix Theatre, Elwood College,
101 Glen Huntly Road, Elwood
WHY hold a FORUM on FLOODS?
In February 2011 Elwood was devastated by a flood. It was called a 1 in 500 year flood. However if you actually look at the records, there was a similar flood in February 1989, and another in the 1960's. The records show that there is a major flood in Elwood, about once every 20 years.
Many questions spring to mind:
■Is the 1 in 500 year flood really a 1 in 20 year flood?
■Will major floods become more frequent?
■When floods do occur, will they be worse, and do more damage?
■Can something be done about the floods?
■Who is responsible for taking action, and what are they doing?
■What are the responsibilities of Council, State and Federal Government and Melbourne Water?
■If the next flood struck tomorrow, are people prepared?
■Are homes adequately insured? Are insurance premiums now prohibitively expensive?
■If you can't return to your home where can you go?
LIVE is organising the Elwood Floods Forum to ask these questions of people in positions of responsibility. We are not seeking to blame anyone for the floods, or the damage they do. We just want to understand the current situation, and to discuss practical responses with those who have the power to do something.
Speakers are:
Felicity Browning and Meni Christofakis - Elwood residents flooded in 2010 will speak of their experience.Audience members who were flooded will be invited to tell of their experiences.
Then the following speakers will have 5 minutes each to respond:
■Rachel Powning, Mayor of the City of Port Phillip
■Martin Foley MP, State Labor Member for Albert Park
■We hope that the State Government Minister Water, Peter Walsh, will speak.
■Adam Bandt MP, Federal Greens Member for Melbourne
■Rufus Coffield-Feith, Elwood Resident and Australian Youth Climate Coalition co-president
■David Spratt, Climate Change Expert, co-Author of Climate Code Red
Questions and debate: The audience will be invited to ask questions.
Also present will be experts on Flood Insurance, Real Estate, Flood Prevention, Emergency Services, Melbourne Water, Local Councils and State Government representatives. These people will be introduced at the commencement of the forum and will be asked to respond to questions appropriate to their roles
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Good posting, as wouldn't have known this was happening and I am interested. Your point about homes at risk of flooding, and a lot of the storm water that ends up in Elwood comes from Glen Eira via the Elster Creek system and floods Elwood would be correct.
ReplyDeleteGlen Eira was noted as having the most homes at risk of flooding in Victoria, exceeding Elwood's risk. Glen Eira is on record saying there is nothing they can do about it, and its a Melbourne Water problem, which is wrong, because Glen Eira could do what it could do, which is certainly more than the present nothing they choose to do.
Lets see if the community plan for Glen Eira even mentions the flooding concerns resident in-putted at the forums last week.
Nice article.
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