Flood fix for notorious Brisbane creek comes too late

A fix for a notorious creek in Brisbane’s most flood prone suburb has come heartbreakingly late, with locals forced to clean up yet again after 30 years of complaints fell on deaf ears.

A million-dollar fix for notorious Stable Swamp Creek in Rocklea has come too late after residents have been left to clean up damage from Cyclone Alfred.

Removal of about 500 tonnes of silt, weeds and debris — enough to fill 30 garbage trucks — was scheduled to have begun this month.

The problem was caught up in a funding standoff between council and the state government until last month when a landmark agreement was struck.

But after more than 30 years of bureaucratic squabbling, locals said they were not holding their breath that action would be taken soon.

A previous promise to finish works by June last year never eventuated.

Ironically, the new works program was scheduled to start this month.

Stable Swamp Creek on March 8 during TC Alfred. Picture: Peter Russo

Community spokeswoman Jo Clark-Jones said residents were unable to get out of Rocklea for several days last week due to flooding.

Streets were now littered with ruined furniture, broken glass and other items, ahead of a council kerbside collection on Monday.

“Once again Rocklea is let down. I’m broken. I feel exhausted by all of this,’’ Ms Clark-Jones said.

“I’ve been living here since 1996. Since then we’ve had meeting after meeting after meeting, committees set up, petitions, promise after promise.

“My elderly neighbours were terrified when this cyclone came. Our parks and streets filled up with water, people lost their cars — same story, just a different day.’’

Jo and Allan Clark-Jones (with dog Henry) at Stable Swamp Creek. Picture: Adam Head

The state government and LNP-dominated council blamed the delay on the former Labor government which they said stonewalled funding to clean up part of the 17km-long creek.

One bank of the creek, near Fauna Parade Park, was owned by various state bodies including the Natural Resources Department, Education Queensland and Energex. The opposite bank was owned by council.

“For years, the previous Labor Government passed the buck on Stable Swamp Creek’s rehabilitation and failed the people of Rocklea,’’ Local Government Minister Ann Leahy said.

“That’s why the Crisafulli Government has been quick to act with the Schrinner Council to begin the final stages of this restoration after years of campaigning.’’

But local Labor Councillor Steve Griffiths was scathing of council’s inaction and said it had been a “David and Goliath’’ battle to get to this point.

Councillor Steve Griffiths meets residents at Stable Swamp Creek in 2022 to discuss its clean-up.

“Residents have known for years this creek is full of muck,’’ he said.

“We’ve been lied to by council, we’ve had information hidden from us, we’ve been blamed, there’s been a series of roadblocks the whole way.

“If this is happening in my ward it’s probably happening in other wards across the city — Brisbane City Council is not doing the creek works it needs to do.’’

But council environment committee chair Tracy Davis said they had always been “prepared to shoulder the clean up’’.

Ms Davis said council had set aside almost $600,000, two years running, to progress the final stretch of works along the parkland it controlled in Rocklea.

“However, state government collaboration was critical given they own parcels of land along the creek,’’ she said.

“Improving this waterway through weeding, bank stabilisation and de-silting will preserve this important part of Brisbane’s ecosystem for years to come.’’

Almost 500 tonnes of silt, weeds and debris will be cleared from flood prone Stable Swamp Creek in Rocklea. Picture: Councillor Steve Griffiths

Works on other parts of a multistage rehabilitation of the creek have been under way for years, although Mr Griffiths said they were in areas less prone to flooding.

Under the new agreement, the state would contribute an extra $400,000 in funding to progress the final stage of rehabilitation over about five years.

In the 2022 deluge about 600 nearby homes were flooded.

Since then 100 properties have been bought back, which Mr Griffiths conceded had helped during last week’s flooding.

But Ms Clark-Jones said locals were astounded when a block of land sold recently in flood prone Boobook St where council had bought back some properties.