Riverland continues flood preparations as concerns over hospital rise
Engineers are assessing levee banks in Renmark and five industrial pumps will be placed around the township this week, with one levee opposite the district hospital causing concern.
Planned locations of industrial-sized water pumps which will be located in low lying areas withing the Renmark area. Picture: Renmark Paringa Council
A third of the levee network surrounding Renmark has now been assessed, with the levee bank opposite the Renmark Hospital already marked for repairs ahead of the highest river flow since 1975, predicted to arrive in December.
The Renmark Paringa Council said that the levee bank will require the top layer of material to initially be removed in order to build up and strengthen the front of the structure.
The Riverland Mallee Coorong Local Health Network’s Chief executive Wayne Champion said it’s not known if the 77 aged care residents (and up to eight patients) will need to be relocated in the event of a flood, however, plans are underway to update the contingency plan.
Works on the Hale Street levee bank also began on Wednesday with the whole levee network likely to be assessed by the end of the week.
The council will also bring five industrial-sized water pumps to areas of concern at 17th Street, 19th Street South and North, 20th Street and 21st Street, Renmark.
Planned locations of industrial-sized water pumps which will be located in low lying areas withing the Renmark area. Picture: Renmark Paringa Council
“Once these pumps are deployed, the stormwater outlets that flow into the River Murray and Bookmark Creek will be closed off,” the council said.
“This action is necessary to prevent flooding from backflow up through the stormwater network as the outlets to the River become inundated by higher flows.”
It comes after the CFS announced nine personnel and three Department of Environment and Water (DEW) personnel will travel to Victoria this week to assist with the flooding events throughout the state.
State Duty Commander Ray Jackson said the deployment demonstrates the service’s capabilities as an all-hazards response agency.
“Victoria is experiencing unprecedented floods and, as the lead agency in South Australia for incident management, we had no hesitation in answering the call for help,” Jackson said.
The CFS also have several volunteers currently deployed in the Riverland region assisting SA State Emergency Services (SASES) with the local flooding events.
A flood advice threat for the Light and Gilbert River in the state’s mid-north was reduced on Wednesday, with residents urged to continue to take care in the area for the next few days.
Free sandbags are available in the Riverland and Murray Bridge today at the Berri SES Unit, Loxton SES Unit, Murray Bridge SES Unit, Renmark SES Unit and in Waikerie opposite Nippys.
