Opinion: A response to the Mayor about flood mitigation

“If the council is the voice of the people, why aren’t they listening to what the people are saying?”

Bundaberg Mayor Jack Dempsey. Photo Paul Beutel

The people of Bundaberg are well aware that our Mayor is very adept at expressing his opinion and lobbying to state and federal government.

What the Bundaberg Flood Action Group are questioning is who is he lobbying for?

Is it the people of North Bundaberg and the general residents of Bundaberg who were strategically missed in the unpublicised ‘community consultation’ on the flood response options?

A large amount of money was spent on hydrology and engineering reports and many options were proposed by experts.

The facts are that there are 4 viable options proposed by the engineers, all backed by science.

The State Government Engineers report proposed option F - Milliquin bend widening and dredging as a worthy option.

The council has dismissed the affordable option H, the North Bundaberg Evacuation Route, without valid explanation.

If we had the facts about the costs and how the decision was made by the council, then the residents of Bundaberg might be reassured that the option being put forward to keep them safe is affordable and in their best interests and the best choice from the range of options the experts proposed.

If the council is the voice of the people, why aren’t they listening to what the people are saying?

The residents who have been affected by flood are not questioning the science, they are questioning the choice made by the council to go for the limited benefit Levy option and asking why the council is ignoring the science that was evident in the other proposed options.

For those who had to be rescued from their homes and roof tops, this looks like a choice that protects investors and the main street development of Bundaberg and leaves the residents of North Bundaberg and other low areas, still stranded.

Is that the right thing to do?

Len Reif, East Bundaberg