Yesterday, Premier Peter Malinauskas announced that new data shows the predicted River Murray flow levels into South Australia have increased to at least 175 gigalitres per day by December, up from a predicted 165 gigalitres a day predicted last week.

The new figures are due to ongoing rain throughout the Murray Darling Basin in the past week.

Malinauskas said the revised forecast was critically below 210 GL per day, which would overwhelm levees at Renmark.

“In good news the moderate and high probability scenarios remain as what they were previously,” he said.

“The levee system in and around Renmark, which is the lowest lying Riverland major community, that levee is built to go to 210 GL a day, so we’re still below that level.

“All of the energy remains ongoing from both the State Government working hand in hand with local government to ensure that that levee system is in a state that it best can be to be able to withstand the low probability scenario of a higher flow level going closer to 210 GL a day.”

The Department for Transport is advising some road and ferry closures are expected in the next week due to rising River Murray water levels including Bookpurnong Road between Berri and Kemp Road this weekend.

A detour will be available via Stanitzki Road and Sturt Highway, through Paringa and Renmark and onto Old Sturt Highway, Berri. 

The closures will see locals forced to take lengthy round trips, nearly a month before the expected river peak in mid-December.

Infrastructure and Transport Minister Tom Koutsantonis said responses to the oncoming flood event may include closing and moving the Waikerie ferry, more road closures and SA Power Networks estimated 3200 homes will have power cut.

“This is a natural disaster and we are waiting on the SES as to how we respond to that,” he said.

There are no changes in forecasts at the higher end of river flows, which remain at a “moderate” probability of 200 GL a day peak flow or the lesser probability of reaching 220 GL per day.

Due to increased river level predictions, we will now be referring to the River Murray high flow event as a flood event. Our website & social media will now start to reflect this. Visit https://t.co/62OcrOzpKe for SASES information related to 2022 River Murray Flood event. pic.twitter.com/EQh5jJmPiV

— SASES (@SA_SES) November 17, 2022

Yesterday the SES announced via social media today that with the increased river level predictions they will be “referring to the River Murray high flow event as a flood event”.

Berri Barmera Council CEO Dylan Strong told ABC radio council preparations on levee works and flood mitigation strategies are already being made for a river flow of up to 250 GL a day.

“There’s quite a bit of wisdom in preparing for the worst-case scenario, obviously that’s challenging when the figures have continued to change day to day week on week,” Strong said.