When future flood events do threaten the Beaufort district, how prepared and informed will we be?
When I was in Skipton on Sunday I saw first hand how inadequate our flood monitoring capabilities are in the region. .
Alarmingly, an answer could not be given as to when the floods would peak and as I have travelled the Wannon electorate visiting other flood prone areas I have encountered a similar response. To put it simply, flood monitoring infrastructure in Wannon is extremely inadequate, and in many areas non‐existent.
The flooding throughout western Victoria has highlighted the dire need for additional funding for the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) to ensure that they are well‐equipped to adequately monitor and predict fast‐moving intense weather events.
Townships such as Beaufort, Skipton and Wickliffe and many waterways, including Mount Emu Creek and Fiery Creek, as well as the Wannon, Glenelg, Hopkins, Merri and Moyne Rivers, do not currently have adequate flood monitoring systems, resulting in poor information for these communities regarding the expected flood levels and flood time estimates.
South west Victoria also has very few online BOM rainfall stations.
In the most recent floods people in Beaufort, Skipton, Wickliffe and surrounding localities could have saved more of their possessions had they received an indication of the flood level, and estimated time of arrival. These communities were caught off guard yet again and some of these people have lost everything, in some cases, for the second time in three months.
As a result, I have written to the Gillard government arguing that BOM needs increased resources to enable it to provide earlier warning of floods, as this is crucial for minimising potential flooding in our region in the future. I’m sure, like me, you are looking forward to their positive response.
Media Contact: Rachelle Miller 03 5572 1100 or 0408 564 232
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