R10m to shore up drainage systems |22 March 2006

The money, the first directly allocated to the Environment Engineering Section of the Environment Department to tackle drainage problems, has been earmarked for around 20 high priority projects urgently required to prevent flooding in Victoria and the districts.

Announcing the funding to journalists on Monday at the Botanical Gardens, Environment principal secretary Rolf Payet explained that it had been allocated, "to tackle the big projects" in areas where construction, land reclamation and blocked marshes are leading to flooding.

While accepting that, with retrospect, some planning decisions had caused part of the problem, Mr Payet said that increased rainfall and public littering had exacerbated the situation.

"The public themselves are part of the problem," said PS Payet, criticising people for irresponsible building practices and littering which has blocked drainage channels.

Covering both the government and the public, the principal secretary spoke of the "collective guilt and responsibility" for previous mistakes in regard to building regulations and areas where construction had taken place.

"We need to make sure that investment includes drainage," he said, adding that there is a need for incorporated drainage systems in all new developments.

However, he warned that certain areas will always be vulnerable to the threat of flooding.

"Some areas are in the flood plains, whatever you do there will be flooding."

Despite working alongside staff from the departments of transport, local government and habitat, Mr Payet said that some elements of the new drainage work would likely be tendered out and that district meetings will be held to keep the public up to date with work being undertaken.

He said that the majority of the big projects addressed with the new budget allocation are expected to be completed by the end of the year.

Meanwhile motorists in Victoria have already been coming to terms with a separate drainage project, with work being carried out running the length of Revolution Street.