Mannum football oval becomes a temporary town for displaced flood residents

As floodwaters start to displace residents along the lower reaches of the River Murray, a temporary town is taking shape on a dirt block at Mannum’s football oval.

On a dirt block at Mannum’s football oval a temporary town is taking shape, a town that could be home for several months as floodwaters start to displace residents along the lower reaches of the River Murray.

Among the first to call the oval home are Neville Byrne and Leanne Hart, and their friends Roz and Tony Adams.

All live on houseboats at Mannum Waters, and have traded their aquatic homes for caravans as the floodwater makes living on the river increasingly difficult.

The trucks that once pumped the boats’ waste tanks can no longer get to the boats, creating a logistical nightmare for the river nomads.

Not all have abandoned ships, however, and according to Mr Byrne some have resorted to ingenious methods to stay onboard their houseboats.

“Some have got portaloos, and one owner has even bought a lemon, a lime and an orange tree,” he said.

Neville Byrne, Roz Adams and Leanne Hart have evacuated from their house boats to the Mannum Football Oval. Picture: Tom Huntley

“That way they can put the wee on the trees and that will stop the tank from filling up too fast.”

Mr Byrne said everyone was pulling together to make sure everyone stayed safe and that all the houseboats stayed securely moored.

“We go in by tinnie to check our boat and other boats to make sure the ropes are loose enough and that everything is secure,” he said.

“And we check on the people who have decided to stay on their boats. In adversity people pull together and become more social. We’re all battling the same evil thing. We can all do this if we work together. Alone, we may not be able to.”

Over at the oval’s clubrooms an emergency centre has been established, offering access to a range of services for those affected by the unfolding emergency.

And, of course, everyone needs to be fed. That’s a job that’s being undertaken by a growing team of volunteers, including Neil Baldock.

“We have volunteers coming from all over the place to help out,” Mr Baldock said.

“You name it – Naracoorte, Bordertown, there’s a lady that’s come down from Whyalla. We’ve got food that’s been donated by the IGA, Lovells Bakery Food Bank has just turned up. It’s great.”

Mannum Bowling Club secretary Trevor Dicker and vice president Graham Wakefield. Picture: Tom Huntley

Down at the Mannum Bowling Club the game goes on, despite the growing threat posed by the nearby river.

Club members, most of whom are aged over 70, have pulled together to sandbag around the club’s two rinks which were recently recovered with artificial turf at a cost of $380,000.

Club secretary Trevor Dicker and vice-president Graham Wakefield said moral at the club, and in Mannum in general, was generally good but the stress of the slowly unfolding emergency was starting to show.

Volunteers Di Glacken, Neil Baldock and Yvonne Walker at the Mannum evacuation centre. Picture: Tom Huntley

“If a fire goes through you come in with a bulldozer, pick up the mess and start over again the next day,” Mr Wakefield said.

“With this you just have to wait. It’s like creeping death – it just keeps coming.”

“And,” Mr Dicker added, “we’ll have to go through it all again in three month’s time when the water recedes. That’s when the clean up starts.”

And the pair have a novel idea for funding that clean up.

“I tell you what, if we had a dollar for everyone that came down here to have a look at the river we’d have more than enough money,” Mr Dicker laughed.