Lower Lakes warned of rising waters as third emergency relief centre opens in Murray Bridge

Lower Murray residents are being warned peak river flows are yet to come, with water levels set to be higher than first anticipated.

Lower Murray residents are being warned peak river flows are yet to come, with water levels set to be higher than first anticipated.

Emergency Minister Joe Szakacs said floodwaters were expected to peak in Mannum between January 6-9, Murray Bridge between January 7-10 and Lower Lakes between January 9-13.

Mr Szakacs said water flows peaked in Cadell on January 2, and Morgan on January 4.

On Wednesday, flows across the border were at 156GL/day.

Originally forecast at 1m, water levels are expected to reach between 1.1m and 1.3m in the Lower Lakes region when peak flows hit.

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Mr Szakacs said while flood warnings were not expected for Lower Lakes communities, an emergency meeting would be held by the SASES on Thursday night in Milang to update residents on the situation.

SES chief officer Chris Beattie said residents could check daily water height tables online for Milang, Clayton Bay, Goolwa, Hindmarsh Island marina and Meningie.

“We’re still got another week or so to go before we see these peaks flow down to Lower Murray communities,” Mr Beattie said.

“It’s important that residents stay attuned to the risk and make sure that they’ve got their plans in place.”

Lake Bonney is already open for boating and kayaking activities, and will be reconnected to the river at Nappers Inlet on January 9, but visitors are advised by SA Health not to swim in the area while algae warnings are in place.

As peak flood waters move down the River Murray, a sophisticated aerial operation to save critical SA Water infrastructure was underway in the Murraylands.

The SES was coordinating an effort to fly supersized sandbags via a helicopter to an SA Water pump at Cowirra, isolated in flood water.

The delicate but fast-paced operation would see the chopper do 75 trips carrying up to 1000kg of sand from a deposit of 150 tonnes of sand on a neighbouring farm land.

A helicopter collects one of the massive 'Bulka Bags' for Cowirra. Picture: Dylan Hogarth

SES members Tony Costello and Toni Clarke stand by the flooded road leading to the SA Water pumping station at Cowirra which is set to be protected by 150 tonnes of sand flown in via helicopter.

Each “Bulka Bag” sandbag weighs approximately 750-1000 kgs and due to the nature and unique positioning of the levee, the bags were being picked up from a staging site and dropped in strategic positions using a helicopter over 12-14 hours. The road to the pump has been completely inundated with up to 3-4 metres of water, leaving the pumping site effectively an island.

SES incident management and planning officer Tony Costello said the levee surrounding the pump had deteriorated due to wave activity in the flood waters and the aerial approach was the only solution.

The Bulka Bags are filled for Cowirra. Picture: Dylan Hogarth

“You can’t get access to it to strengthen the levee any other way other than the in the air … what we are doing should maintain the integrity of the levee past the peak flows, he said.

“The pump we are protecting provides water to a treatment plant and that treated water provides water to about 400 customers and if the pump stops operating they might have to cart water for the next six months,” he said

The operation sees SA Water divers on hand at the pumping site, as well as SES boats transporting personnel to the pumping site and will continue into tomorrow.

It comes after State Emergency Service levee assessment team confirmed that a levee protecting critical SA Water infrastructure in Cowirra required reinforcement.

The State Emergency Service will reinforce a levee protecting critical infrastructure at Cowirra. Picture: David Crosling

Meanwhile, the state government will open its third emergency relief centre at Murray Bridge for residents affected by the River Murray floods.

The centre will open at 9am on Thursday at the Ramblers Football Club.

A range of support services including emergency accommodation, counselling and food relief will be available from 9am to 5pm, seven days a week.

Human Services Minister Nat Cook said the state government understands the floodwaters are causing distress and damage to many South Australians’ lives and livelihoods.

“Like the other two relief centres operating in Berri and Mannum, this Murray Bridge relief centre is for anyone whose main residence has been affected by the floods and in need of outreach services,” she said.

“This is an ongoing disaster facing communities all along the Murray River and people are not only dealing with the loss and hardship brought on by these flood events but are also starting to think about the clean-up.”

Like the Berri and Mannum centres, the emergency relief centre in Murray Bridge is for residents of the river community whose main residence has been affected by the floods. Picture: Joel Eglinton

The existing Berri and Mannum emergency relief centres will continue to operate within the same hours.

The emergency relief centres are part of the government’s $51.6 million initial financial assistance package for River Murray communities, households and businesses impacted by large-scale flooding.

The Berri and Mannum emergency relief centres have assisted more than 1600 people in region to date.