Council to act on flooding reports

The City of Melbourne has confirmed it will begin to take action on the Port Phillip Bay Coastal Adaptations Pathways project, the report into potential flood concerns released in April.

The project, which was outlined in edition 18 of the Southbank Local News, was produced hypothetically, as an example of the sort of tools councils might have access to when tackling climate change.

Given the flooding risks the study exposed in Southbank, it’s little wonder the council has decided to act on it.

While not specific at this stage, the Future Melbourne Committee on October 1 endorsed the draft Total Watermark – City as a Catchment Strategy.

The draft report states that the council will implement an “investigation and potentially deliver a project that aims to reduce flood risks in the catchment, including Southbank, and provide an alternative water resource for the surrounding parklands including Fawkner Park.”

The report says the investigation and possible action will take place from July 2013 to 2015.

A City of Melbourne spokesperson confirmed to Southbank Local News that the reference to flood risks in the Southbank region came from two sources, the Adaptation Pathways case study and a project on water flow through Albert Park Lake, prepared by Parks Victoria and The Office of Living Victoria.

The Adaptation Pathways case study revealed that Southbank was at high risk of flooding now and, without remedial action, a large portion of the suburb would be under two metres of water in the event of high tides and a one-in-one hundred-year storm.

The report encouraged the City of Melbourne to take action.

“Council should continue to progress actions to improve drainage in conjunction with Melbourne Water. This is expected to be the most cost-effective approach to reducing both current and future flood risks.”