Dam it: stop the flooding

Source: Wangaratta Chronicle - 10 Dec 08

Liberals say Big Buffalo push is not dead in the water

Written by STEVEN BURKE .

EXPANSION of Lake Buffalo could protect Wangaratta from future flooding, according to shadow minister for climate change, environment and water, Greg Hunt.

Mr Hunt visited Lake Buffalo with Sophie Mirabella (MHR, Indi) yesterday, and the pair are adamant the issue of expanding the 23,340 megalitre storage facility is far from dead in the water.

Previous representations from Mrs Mirabella and Ken Jasper (MLA, Murray Valley), along with a petition with more than 4000 signatures calling for the dam’s expansion, have fallen on deaf ears with the State Government.

But Mr Hunt said the government had an obligation to investigate what effect an expanded dam would have on protecting Wangaratta from floods.

All the city’s domestic water is supplied from Lake Buffalo, via release into the Ovens River.

"There needs to be an update on a feasibility study for flood mitigation around Myrtleford and towns downstream of Lake Buffalo," Mr Hunt said.

"That work hasn’t been dusted off for the best part of two decades.

"An increased overflow capacity would provide the dual advantage of helping to manage floods better and protect all the towns downstream of the lake, while also allowing more water to be stored in times of high rainfall for the bad times."

While supportive of the dam’s expansion, Mr Hunt said the environment needed to be the first priority.

"The first thing is, we need to absolutely guarantee and protect the flows of the Ovens River," he said.

Mrs Mirabella said she would continue to lobby the government.

"Commonsense has to prevail eventually," she said.

"Sometimes you just have to keep on fighting and persevering before there is a break in the clouds."