Maryborough flood emergency: Aquatic centre flooded

Before and after pictures of the local pool at Maryborough, which has gone under for a second time in just weeks, show the crippling costs the council will be up against in that area alone.

The Olympic swimming pool was looking blue and refreshing weeks after it was last inundated with muddy water from the Mary River.

But Fraser Coast Council workers were back to square one after a second flood hit the region on the second last day of February, inundating the Maryborough Aquatic Centre.

Councillor Paul Truscott said the possibility of moving the Maryborough pool wasn’t on the agenda.

The Maryborough Aquatic Centre in the aftermath of the February floods. Photo: Paul Truscott

But after seeing the pool turn a murky brown for a second time in seven weeks, he said he personally believed the council would need to explore options to try to protect the pool from future floods.

Cr Truscott said that could mean a floodproof levee around the aquatic centre or an earth wall at Queens Park to try to prevent floodwaters from entering the CBD altogether.

“That would be an enormous task,” Cr Truscott said.

“It’s absolutely disheartening as a swimmer, resident and a councillor.

The pool, looking normal again, as the second flood approaches.

“I feel for all the staff involved in the clean-up process. They were looking forward to getting it open again.

“Now they have to start over again.”

He said he was unsure how much it had cost to restore the pool, but that it would have been expensive.

Fraser Coast Mayor George Seymour said the cost of the January flood had not yet been quantified, let alone the most recent flood.

He said it was disappointing to see the pool inundated again.

Cr Seymour said the river levels were dropping and soon the clean-up efforts would be well underway.

“It had dropped below the moderate level,” he said.

From Monday, March 7, the council will offer free kerbside collection of disaster waste from flood affected areas and will place bulk bins in the Maryborough CBD for businesses to dispose of flood waste.

The Maryborough pool after the January flood.

Bulk bins will be placed in selected locations in the CBD as soon as possible and in Alice Street near the Ululah Lagoon, if required for flood affected businesses.

Council waste facilities will take disaster waste from residents for free from Wednesday, March 2.

The bulk kerbside collection of disaster waste will be limited to flood-affected residential areas of Maryborough to help make homes safe, habitable and accessible.