South Rockhampton Flood Levee back in council’s budget but the project is still shelved

The infrastructure that would help flood-proof Rockhampton was shelved in 2020. So why is it now back in council’s budget this month? Find out here.

Despite money being allocated in the new budget released this month by Rockhampton Regional Council, the South Rockhampton Flood Levee (SRFL) project is still shelved.

The council allocated $500,000 for land resumption and $25,000 for design development for the SRFL in its 2022/2023 budget.

The project, which has been touted for decades, was shelved back in October 2020 when a funding shortfall of $105 million couldn’t be found.

State and federal governments had committed $25 million each but without the extra $105 million committed, council was put in a position to ask to redirect the funds to other projects so the money didn’t go to waste.

The common sentiment was that it would take another flood before any government would prioritise funding for the project.

Capricornia MP Michelle Landry, then Rockhampton region mayor Margaret Strelow and then Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack MP speaking about the South Rockhampton Flood Levee in September 2019.

Council addressed why it allocated money in this year’s budget for the project, confirming the project still wasn’t going ahead anytime soon.

“The money set aside in the budget is carry over for properties that were acquired in 2019 as compensation is still being finalised,” RRC general manager of Regional Services Peter Kofod said.

Council began consultation with landholders along the levee alignment in 2013 and in 2019 was granted permission by the Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy to acquire land for “flood prevention and mitigation purposes and vests”.

Council has no further plans for land acquisitions at this stage.

Most of the land has been acquired to make way for the levee corridor, which in general is approximately 50 metres wide including space of the levee structure, levee crest access ramps and associated structures and other drainage features include power poles, standpipes and distribution boxes.

The allocated budget design development money of $25,000 is for engineering firm AECOM to “maintain the currency of the design as flood management standards evolve”.

“This is so we’ll be shovel ready when funding does become available,” Mr Kofod said.

AECOM was engaged in late 2018 to develop concept and detail designs of the project.

The SRFL involves constructing a 8.74km flood levee that runs from the Fitzroy Bridge to the Jellicoe Street and Bruce Highway intersection, via Quay Street, Wharf Street, Fiddes and Jellicoe streets in Depot Hill and Port Curtis.

The levee consists of sections of earth embankment, vertical flood wall and temporary demountable levee structures with flood gates on major drainage channels and existing piped drainage networks.

The design prevents flooding of the CBD, Port Curtis and Depot Hill areas during a flood event of 9.89 metres.

FLOODS AND LEVEE HISTORY

The SRFL was recommended back in 1992 after the 1991 floods.

The Fitzroy River drains a catchment of approximately 142,000km2 and is one of the largest catchments of the east coast of Australia, extending from the Carnarvon Gorge National Park in the west to Rockhampton on the Central Queensland coast.

Thanks to its immense size and a fan-like shape, the Fitzroy River catchment can produce severe flooding following heavy rainfall in any of its major tributaries, including the Nogoa-Mackenzie and Connors-Isaacs Rivers and the local area below Riverslea.

The highest recorded flood was in 1918 with 10.11 metres on the Rockhampton flood gauge.

As a result of floods, low lying areas of Port Curtis and Depot Hill are inundated at a gauge height of 7 metres and the Bruce Highway at Lower Dawson Road is cut at a gauge height of 8.4 metres.

Allenstown is inundated at a gauge height of 8.5 metres.

Depot Hill and Port Curtis have had 33 historical floods over 7 metres since 1859.

There have been 17 historical flood events over a gauge height of 8 metres.

Properties RRC purchased in 2019 for SRFL

• 2 Jellicoe Street, Port Curtis – $660,000 (inc GST) – For flood prevention and flood mitigation purposes
• Lot 2 Port Curtis Road, Port Curtis – $385,000 (inc GST) – For flood prevention and flood mitigation purposes104A Wharf Street, Depot Hill – $715,000 (inc GST) – For flood prevention and flood mitigation purposes