Townsville flooding: Community anger about dam release

Even as the water continues to rise in Townsville, and with rescues still under way, there is some anger in the community about the timing of the decision to open the gates at the Ross River Dam.

ANDREW Roberts is more worried about being eaten by a crocodile in his Townsville home than chest-high water surging through the ground floor.

He creeps down stairs and scans the murky water for crocs before he leaps on a table to refuel the generator powering his home.

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But he and his wife Cass are staying put.

“My biggest concern is getting eaten,” Mr Roberts told AAP.

Marks St in the Townsville suburb of Hermit Park. Some residents in the suburb have said the Ross River Dam floodgates should have opened earlier. Picture: Zak Simmonds

“It’s a little bit scary because when it floods in Townsville, the crocs get into the water.”

But while fear of crocodiles and losing everything to floods or looters is top of his mind right now, there’s also anger building about the decision to open the gates at the swollen Ross River Dam.

Water releases began last week despite the flood risk to some low-lying properties.

The gates were fully opened on Sunday night sending more torrents of water into the city, swamping roads, yards and homes.

“We were lambs to the slaughter,” says Mr Roberts who lives in low-lying Hermit Park.

“Our homes have been sacrificed to save the rest of Townsville. It should never have been this bad. Why didn’t they have releases earlier and give the water a chance to get away?

“Heads should roll over this.”

Mr Roberts insists the water won’t reach their second story and they will not leave their home of 14 years as they have food, water and a radio.

“It has been a hair-raising experience but ... I would rather be sittinghere than in a shelter for the next week not knowing what the hell is going on with what we have here.”

Neighbour Paul Shafer understood the decision to open the floodgates was necessary, but knows he is paying the price.

He watched the floodwaters rising under his home for days before he finally left on Sunday when he heard the dam floodgates would be fully opened.

“It was just getting too dicey,” he said.

He used a kayak to paddle his wife, daughters and the family dog to safety, then he and a neighbour walked out through chest-highwater pushing a dog on a boogie board.

Mr Shafter has lost two cars, a truck and a caravan in the flood along with the renovated lower level of his Queenslander.

Mayor Jenny Hill today reassured Townsville that the Ross River Dam was safe and at a stable level.

The dam was sitting at 230.6 per cent about 11am, having fallen from 247 per cent over the last 12 hours ago.

Cr Hill said the dam had been designed to open at a set level to ensure its integrity.

“During this event we have overwritten the automation to let water our earlier,” she said.

“What happened yesterday was we received over 300mm in the dam catchment.

“It’s still safe.

“The dam has done its job.”

There have been 18 swift water rescues while almost 1000 people are currently at the city’s six evacuation centres.

Cr Hill said the council had done all it can to make sure residents had enough time to evacuate.

“What do you have to do to make people move?” she said.

“We door knocked them - some of these areas twice - some people thought they could get through this.

“In the end we’ve done all we can.

“People have to accept some personal responsibility.”