River Murray businesses ‘open as usual’ despite flood fears
FORGET flood fears - it’s business as usual for Riverland caravan park owners and managers this summer.
- SES issues minor flood warning as Murray River flows continue to rise
- River Murray properties at risk of flooding in SA
RIVERLAND caravan park owners and managers say it will be business as usual – with minimum disruptions – this summer season despite a prediction for peak River Murray flows at the levels of the 2011 floods.
Tom Hines, whose family has owned the White Sands Riverfront Caravan Park at Murray Bridge for more than 30 years, said customers had been ringing regularly for flood updates but there has only been good news to pass on.
“We tell them we’ve been unaffected so far and fingers crossed we get through unscathed with no flooding at all,” Mr Hines said.
“The river is wide and healthy with not too much debris and they’ve had the barrages open at Goolwa for a while letting out as much water as possible.
“They are saying it is going to peak early December and if that’s the case you’d be hoping for it to be well down by Christmas/New Year which is our peak tourism period.”
The latest report from the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources (DEWNR) predicts flows a the SA border of 55 gigalitres a day will increase to around 65 gigalitres a day and peak just under 100 gigalitres a day late November to early December.
The actual peak flow is dependent on a number of factors that are difficult to predict.
At around 60 gigalitres a day, the land beneath some shacks built on the floodplain in low-lying towns such as Morgan, Brenda Park, Scotts Creek, Walker Flat and Bowhill are at risk of flooding.
In comparison, in 1974 the peak flow was around 180 gigalitres a day and in February 2011 it was around 94 gigalitres a day.
Astrid I’Dell, weekend manager for the Morgan Riverside Caravan Park, said her business was under no threat.
“For those shacks built quite close to the water’s edge they might get their feet wet,” she said.
“But we’ll be all right in the caravan park because we have a levee road that runs between us and the river.”
Gayle Gudgeon from Big 4 Renmark Riverfront Holiday Park said the latest information she had received was “definitely not a flood alert”. “They told us when it’s going to peak but that it’s going to drop off very quickly,” the park manager said.
“From what we can ascertain there should be no issues but people always need a reminder to be vigilant and take care no matter what and especially with more water flowing in the river than usual.
Caravan Park managers at Waikerie, Murray Bridge and Mannum all told the Sunday Mail they expect their businesses will be unaffected by a predicted one metre rise in the river level.