Ongoing flash flooding in Southbank

As Southbank is built on swamp land, it is prone to flooding. The area I would like to highlight is the corner of Whiteman and Clarendon streets. The Whiteman St area is notorious for flooding due to its low-lying nature.

Background

In 2016 a new tram track was built on the corner of Whiteman St and Normanby Rd to cater for the new low-floor G-Class trams. The tram track was raised and Whiteman St was narrowed.

While this kept the tram tracks flood free, water that had previously spread across the tram tracks to the northern side of Normanby Rd was diverted to Whiteman St. This greatly increased the height of flooding in Whiteman St and consequently the back-up of water where Whiteman St drains into Clarendon St.

Significant rainfall coupled with high tide along the Yarra River causes severe flooding, triggering major disruptions to residents, businesses and traffic in the area. The risks outlined below are critical and growing with each flooding event.

Vehicles

During flooding, vehicles attempt to navigate the intersection. In trying to avoid the deeper water in the inside lanes there have been many near misses of both other vehicles, trams, and pedestrians attempting to cross.

Cars travelling down Clarendon and Whiteman streets cause waves of water to enter Vue Grande apartments located at 63 Whiteman St and the local IGA located at 42-28 Clarendon St.

Emergencies

If residents need to evacuate the building due to a fire, they cannot leave the building as the water totally covers the footpath to a height where it enters at the level of the first step inside the building, and where the footpath meets Whiteman St the depth is more than half a metre. There is no alternative exit available as the water level at the garage entrance is equally as high and even the exit through the IGA is not possible as water also blocks their entrance on Clarendon St.

Floodwaters block roads and pathways, hindering the movement of emergency vehicles. This includes ambulances, police and emergency services. This delay can adversely affect response times and access to affected areas.

A fire at the time of flooding would be a major disaster with lives put in danger as people cannot evacuate.

What needs to be highlighted is that flooding has lasted for as long as ten hours when there is a high tide and considerable rain in the Yarra basin.

Health

Floodwaters can contain sewage, chemicals, and other pollutants that can lead to infections or other health issues. Sharp objects, broken glass, and other debris can be hidden beneath the water’s surface, posing a risk of cuts and injuries. If the water is contaminated, floodwater can lead to infections or other health issues, particularly for those with open wounds or reduced immunity.

Rats, which carry numerous serious diseases, have been seen in apartment building car parks trying to escape flood waters.

Mobility

Floodwaters make it difficult or impossible to manoeuvre wheelchairs, mobility scooters, prams or walking frames. When individuals attempt to push their wheelchairs through the water to get home their equipment is damaged.

People attempting to wade through the floodwaters are at risk of falling and being injured by hidden objects in the water.

The flood on Sunday, October 26 highlighted another dangerous obstacle. Two manhole covers on the pavement in Clarendon St were removed to allow more drainage for the flood water. The water obscured these open holes and it was pure luck that individuals trying to wade up the Clarendon St footpath did not fall into them.

Moving in and moving out

If new residents are moving into the building or residents are moving out and it coincides with flooding, the move has to be cancelled. Moving companies may charge cancellation or rescheduling fees if the move is delayed or cancelled due to flooding. Temporary storage may be needed for belongings if the move cannot proceed, adding another expense to the resident. Availability for new moving dates might be limited, especially during peak times.

These disruptions can cause significant inconvenience and stress, particularly if it coincides with other pressing commitments.

IGA

The IGA’s main delivery day each week is Thursday, starting at 7am. If it is flooding this hampers deliveries. Additionally, the accessibility of the business is compromised, deterring customers during flooding events which leads to a loss in sales.

Water damage

Water entering the IGA and Vue Grande cause recurring damage to the entrances of these buildings. This also causes deterioration of the pavement and driveways.

Conclusion

These issues cause immense stress to residents, staff and businesses. The unpredictability of flooding combined with inadequate infrastructure leaves people feeling powerless.

The City of Melbourne has been working on these issues; however, the problem has been ongoing since 2016 and needs addressing. Nine years is an exceptionally long time for these problems to be resolved.

In the interim, procedures to ensure Clarendon St is closed to traffic at City Rd and Whiteman St is closed at Cecil St during flooding, need to be put in place as a matter of urgency. •