Brownhill Creek widening option wins support of locals — now it just needs $150m to pay for it

THE vote’s in: Brownhill Creek needs widening to prevent flooding downstream. The only problem left to solve is where to get the $150m to pay for the work.

18/08/15. Brown Hill Creek consultation results are back, and there has been overwhelming support for creek widening. Ron Bellchambers and Wayne Meyer are very supportive of the widening because it means no dam or culverts. Pic. Noelle Bobrige

• Residents to lose land under new Brownhill Creek plan
• Auditor General investigates Brownhill Creek stormwater scheme

OVERWHELMING community support for the widening of Brownhill Creek to prevent downstream flooding may help secure a crucial funding commitment, the project chief says.

About 85 per cent of more than 800 people who responded to consultation on the $150 million Brownhill Keswick Creek Stormwater plan favoured creek widening over plans for a dam in the upper part of the catchment.

Steering group chief Terry Buss hoped that, with certainty on direction, the project may now be able to attract a $100 million commitment from the state and federal governments.

The five catchment councils — Burnside, Unley, Mitcham, Adelaide and West Torrens — would fund the remaining $50 million.

“One of the problems we have had with the project is getting that firm commitment from the state and Federal Goverment funding because we have not had a formalised plan,” Mr Buss, also the West Torrens Council chief executive, said.

“If all five councils accept the report, we can finalise the plan and use that as a bargaining power.”

He said the creek widening plan — which still needed the approval of catchment councils — had the lowest capital and annual maintenance cost.

“If we don’t get state and federal funding then the councils will need to look at ways we can implement the plan,” he said.

“Rather than a 10-year period, it could happen over 20 or 30 years, for example, so we can afford it … if it goes ahead at all.”

Brownhill Creek Association member Wayne Meyer, a Professor of Natural Resource Science at Adelaide University, said creek widening was better for the environment than a dam.

“For us, widening would help with the rehabilitation aspect of the (creek), which is important, because … it is an asset which has degraded over the years,” Mr Meyer said.

“The reason why we have ended up with such serious (stormwater) issues is because of inappropriate developments and a lack of maintenance.”

Fellow group member Ron Bellchambers said the proposed option, one of eight suggestions put to consultation, was better for the community.

“It provides the best opportunity to move the stormwater project forward and benefit all stakeholders, including creek owners,” Mr Bellchambers said.

However, Save Our Creeks Environ Trees spokesman Tom Pearce said widening would adversely affect at least 174 property owners in Mitcham and Unley.

He said too many trees — including some heritage-listed — would need to be cut down to widen the creek.

“We urge councils to re-examine the scientific evidence and review the four engineering reports because … all reports recommend detention dams,” Mr Pearce said.

Mr Pearce is one of 37 property owners considering a class-action lawsuit for up to $16 million compensation for loss of land.

Only 88 of 216 residents living along the creek responded to consultation; half of those supported the widening.

The consultation report will now go to the five catchment councils and, if approved, to the State Government’s Stormwater Management Authority in October.

A State Government spokesman said the Stormwater Management Authority could not determine project funding until the councils submitted a final plan. The government provides $4 million annually to the Stormwater Management Authority.

Kaurna People Support Move

A NO-DAM option at Brown Hill Creek Recreation Park and Ellison’s Gully will preserve the area’s Aboriginal history, a community group says.

Kaurna Nation Cultural Heritage Association chairman Jeffrey Newchurch said widening the creek would preserve the area, which played an important role in Kaurna history.

He said the Kaurna people were the traditional custodians of the land once used for camping, hunting and gathering ground prior to European settlement.

“Kaurna (people) have connection with the land, especially the top end of Brown Hill Creek, where we have a real spiritual connection,” Mr Newchurch said.

“We wanted the best option where our land won’t be destroyed.”

As part of the Brown Hill Keswick Creek Stormwater project, eight options, which included a dam, were put out for community consultation.

The entire $150 million project is aimed at managing stormwater flows to protect up to 7000 homes from a one-in-100-year flood.

A Brown Hill Keswick Creek Stormwater project report showed the group were supportive of the no-dam option because the creek would be rehabilitated.

“The dam would have taken away the natural beauty and interfered with the surroundings that we know has a significant cultural heritage,” Mr Newchurch said.