Proposed Dam Would Have Prevented Flood Damages, Says Hydrology Expert

Australians are seen evacuating a pet dog through flood water In Rochester, Victoria, on Oct. 14, 2022. (AAP Image/James Ross)

A hydrology expert has said that hundreds of Melbourne homes would have been protected from the recent floods if the former Labor government had agreed to build a dam at Maribyrnong River.

The former Victorian Bracks government previously dismissed the suggestions on the basis that it was not worthwhile because they believed climate change predictions indicated there would not be enough water flowing into the dam, the water minister said back in 2019.

The comment comes as floods have ravaged thousands of home in northern Victoria, cut power off overnight, and damaged highways.

Hydrology and flood warning specialist Geoff Crapper told The Sunday Age that if the Maribyrnong dam had been built, it would have “saved hundreds of people evacuating and billions of dollars in bills,” and the floods wouldn’t have “ruined people’s lives.”

“Not only wouldn’t have they had any houses flooded this time, the racecourse wouldn’t have needed a wall either,” Crapper said, referring to Flemington Racecourse.

Government Rejected Dam Proposal

Water Minister Lisa Neville previously turned down the proposal to build the dam, saying water in the rivers in Victoria will lower by half by 2065.

“The dams we have already are in the best places to collect a high yield of water—any new dams would mean less water for all and would be unlikely to capture enough water to be worth it,” she told The Australian in 2019.

Neville criticised then federal Minister for Water Resources David Littleproud for lacking understanding “when it comes to water and climate change, especially in Victoria.”

“New dams do not create any new water. They simply take it from somewhere else: either from farmers who currently rely on it or from the environment.”

She argued that the funding should instead be directed at augmenting the state’s energy-intensive desalination plan, which she said would increase the yearly production capacity of 150 gigalitres to 200 gigalitres, although this water would be more expensive than that coming from the proposed dam.

Floodwaters Continue to Rise

The comment comes as the flood has destroyed and subsided a significant portion of Victoria’s road network, with reports showing up to 10,000 potholes having been found and fixed.

Premier Daniel Andrews on Oct. 17 announced that the government will deliver a $351 million package to support regional Victorian communities, including a $165 million emergency road repair blitz.

About 6,000 properties were left without power on Oct. 16. Meanwhile, farmers downstream at Goulburn are anxious that the flood could obliterate large crops of grain.

“We’re preparing, shifting sheep and carting hay and getting everything out of the way,” Barry Hinchcliffe, a Bunbartha farmer, told the ABC.

“It’s just a worrying time. It’s just a pity. The crops will just be knocked over and ruined. There is no escaping it.”

Federal Emergency Management Minister Murray Watt warned that the flood could potentially inundate up to 34,000 homes in Victoria, describing the situation as “very serious.” Nearly 4,000 properties were isolated or indundated in Shepparton and Mooroopna as of Oct. 17.

“It’s quite likely we’ll see a flood peak happen and waters recede, followed by another peak, as different river systems come together,” Watt told the ABC.

The water level at the Goulburn River reached its peak at 12.06 metres at Shepparton on the morning of Oct. 17 and is expected to stay high for four or five days.