Loxton Waikerie deputy mayor Trevor Norton met with residents at Paisley Creek Estate, across the river from Blanchetown, to discuss urgent plans to protect their homes last week, with council staff now closing off inlets to the area.

“We don’t have time to work out whose responsibility it is, we’re just going to try and help in whatever way we can – we’ll provide sand bags, sand and they will cut themselves off from the river,” Norton said.

“At a later date we will look at the infrastructure and see if new sluice gates are needed so the water can be regulated.

“The key point out of all of this is we have to continue to communicate clearly.”

Today, Environment and Water Minister Susan Close released new inundation maps showing the impact of River Murray water flows expected to be the highest in almost 50 years, with many shacks and some caravan parks most likely to be affected.

SES forecasts flows across the border will peak at 120GL in early December. But if flows reach 140GL, the mapping shows the Paisley Creek region in Blanchetown is under serious threat of flooding, as illustrated below.

The map above shows the impact of 120GL and 140GL River Murray flows on the Blanchetown region, with Paisley Creek at upper right. Images: State Government/Graphic: Tom Aldahn/InDaily

On Thursday afternoon, River Murray town mayors and chief executive offers will gather in Adelaide to meet agencies including the SES to talk about preparing for potential flooding to their regions.

A spokeswoman confirmed upper river regional CEOs and mayors along with the Local Government Association are meeting senior executives from the Department for Environment and Water and SES, to discuss peak water flows, local logistics, planning and community preparedness. 

Water rising in the Waikerie area is likely to see the ferry closed and possibly moved and riverfront shelters were expected to go under water but Norton believed the new caravan park and sporting oval nearby should be safe.

“I can remember in the 1974 flood, it never breached the bank – some seepage came up in the forward pocket of the town end of the oval, I remember because I was playing there as a junior colt and they brought the boundary line in,” Norton said.

Houseboat operators and caravan park owners along the river are being cautious but encouraged visitors to come to the region to see water and wildlife filling the floodplains.

Rising water at Loxton. Photo: Belinda Willis/InDaily

At Blanchetown Caravan Park, owner Adam Powell fears the river may breach the bank in front of his main office and flood the sheds and infrastructure on the site.

He was hoping to be able to move some on-site cabins but was concerned about his future after buying the caravan park four years ago.

Blanchetown Caravan Park owner Adam Powell fears his property could flood. Photo: Belinda Willis/InDaily

“We moved from Melbourne and bought the business and we’re trying to build it up again, we got through COVID and now this,” Powell said.

“It’s the extra rain upstream that’s creating more uncertainty.

“People have been ringing, friends and people from other businesses saying we’ve got places to store things and can help tow …. now it’s the waiting game.”