By BRIDGET COOK
THE City of Casey is working with the coastal villages to address residents’ water woes.
The coastal village communities have raised their concerns about flooding in their towns in recent months and have called for the council and Melbourne Water to take action.
A public meeting was held last month at which Balla Balla Ward councillor Geoff Ablett, Casey council officers and Melbourne Water delegates addressed a large crowd about the concerns of regular flooding within the area.
The council has now resolved to prepare a report on the strategic approach being taken by Melbourne Water, the Growth Areas Authority and other relevant agencies to mitigate the drainage and flooding impacts of urban development on rural areas in the south of Casey.
Cr Ablett said the report will not only include the works planned for the future, but what has already been done.
“The volume of water flowing into the Westernport Bay has increased and will rise and we have to think about all those who will be and are being affected by this,” he said.
“At the meeting land owners who conduct their businesses from their farms made it loud and clear they want a plan for the future problem of increasing water flow to the lower areas of the Balla Balla Ward.”
Local resident Jenny Patience, who operates the farm JD Propagation, said flooding had been a concern.
“We have been flooded four times in the past two years and three of these times were in a six month period,” she said.
“When we have been flooded it takes three quarters of the day with all our staff to clean up the mess caused.
“Not to mention the stock we lost and the thousands of dollars of crushed rock that was washed away.”
Ms Patience said it was only now that residents were jumping up and down about the issue, was the problem being looked at.
“I think there needs to be money spent on upgrading the current drainage systems,” she said.
“Not just around the new development areas, but further down in the rural areas as well.
“If this is sorted the water will be able to freely flow out into the bay.”
A report on future plans to rectify the issues will come back to a council meeting at a later date.
