Flood recovery works completed


The end of the financial year marks the completion of Council’s $22 million flood recovery program.

According to Cr Michael Redden, Mayor of Mount Alexander Shire, this is a good time to take a look at the scale of recovery works completed, following four separate storm events between September 2010 and February 2012.

In addition to impacting many homes and properties in the community, the storms had a significant bearing on community assets across the municipality including roads, bridges, footpaths, walking trails and recreation facilities.

“Four significant flood events in a short period of time presented a new challenge for Council. While working with other agencies to provide emergency relief and support, we worked quickly to mobilise an experienced team to manage the flood recovery program,” said Cr Michael Redden, Mayor of Mount Alexander Shire.

“The key objective was to minimise the impact on local communities throughout the recovery period, while maintaining the core business of asset management across the Shire.”

With such widespread damage to roads and bridges, specialist skills were required and Council formed a flood recovery coordination team including staff and consulting engineers.
The flood damage was assessed, cost estimates prepared, claims for insurance processed and a package of repair works completed over the next 20 months including:

  • Repairs or re-sheeting of more than one quarter (26%) of the Shire’s unsealed road network – 1,050,000 square metres
  • Repairs to 15,000 square metres of sealed roads
  • Repair or replacement of 920 small culverts and 187 larger culverts
  • 12,025 tonnes of spalls used to stabilise culvert and road drainage systems
  • Reinstatement of 25 bridges and major culverts
  • Major repairs to five large culverts and bridges
  • Repairs to 100 flood ways and fords

“The package of flood recovery works was completed on time and on budget, with funding and assistance from Victorian and Australian Governments. Council set a precedent in the region on reporting to State Government and managing the flood recovery program efficiently in collaboration with stakeholders such as VicRoads, Department of Treasury and Finance and the Department of Environment and Primary Industries,” said Cr Redden.

The cost estimate for the September 2010, November 2010 and January 2011 flood events was $15 million. The cost estimate for the February 2012 flood event was $7.2 million.

For more information visit Mount Alexander Shire Council