Adelaide Plains vegetable growers call for councils to start spending money on Gawler River floodway
Frustrated vegetable growers have called on councils to commit funding to a new floodway to prevent a repeat of devastating floods which caused damage worth millions of dollars.
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Adelaide Plains vegetable growers have called for councils to start spending money on a $27 million floodway promised in the wake of devastating floods four years ago.
Peak horticultural industry body AusVeg SA has written to the mayors of Playford, Gawler, Adelaide Plains and Light urging them to commit funding to the project.
Chief executive officer Jordan Brooke-Barnett said the Gawler River Floodplain Management Authority — run by the four councils — had responsibility for designing a floodway to protect areas such as Virginia and Two Wells.
Mr Brooke-Barnett said the floodway was recommended in a report produced after extensive flooding in 2016 caused millions of dollars of damage across Adelaide Plains.
The report suggested new levees — or stopbanks — along the Gawler River, along with the removal of weeds and exotic trees such as willows.
“After four years it is our understanding that the authority and its member councils still haven’t come up with a plan and seed funding for this vital project,” he said.
“Instead, we just have had blame games between the councils and the state and federal governments.
“The fact is, if the councils are not able to come to the table with some initial investment and a costed plan, the other areas of government are not likely to look at it.”
Mr Brooke-Barnett said the Adelaide Plains horticultural industry annually produced or packed over $500 million worth of produce while directly employing 3000 people.
More than $50 million in planned investments creating 300 new jobs were at risk because of a lack of flood infrastructure.
“Furthermore our industry supports a further 3000 jobs in the local economy, so is a major employer with the downturn in traditional manufacturing,” he said.
Mr Brooke-Barnett said funding for the project had become available to councils under Commonwealth regional infrastructure grants prompted by the coronavirus pandemic.
“In a post-COVID world there is competition for this funding,” he said.
Mr Brooke-Barnett said it was frustrating to see councils find millions of dollars for other community projects north of Adelaide “when they can’t find the funds to progress the floodway”.
“With the financial windfalls coming in, now is the time for councils to finally break the deadlock on this project and come to the table with some initial funding and a plan for action,” he said.
“How serious will other levels of government look at this project if the councils aren’t putting their hands in their pockets.
“There are no more excuses as to why the councils won’t fund this project”.
Mr Brooke-Barnett said growers felt like they “are being treated like second class citizens when we are an engine room for economic growth in the north”.
“As our state is managing its recovery from COVID-19 the continued lack of funding for this critical project is economic vandalism pure and simple,” he said.
“Local government needs to recognise the importance of our industry and back our growers rather than continuing the cycle of post-flood neglect which has seen this critical infrastructure remain unfunded.”
Mr Brooke-Barnett said he had yet to receive responses to his letter from the four councils.