Forbes flood sparks desperate plea to raise walls of Wyangala Dam

Farmers affected by this week’s floods around Forbes are calling for action from the government on one particular issue.

Farmers affected by this week’s floods around Forbes are calling on the government to raise dam walls as a matter of urgency after many face losing millions of dollars worth of crops for a second time in five years.

But Premier Dominic Perrottet — who visited the waterlogged region on Thursday flanked by Deputy Premier Paul Toole and emergency services Minister David Elliott — has refused to put a time on a decision on proposals to raise the Wyangala Dam telling them: “you’ve got to allow these processes to take place”.

The slow-moving flood that struck Forbes this week peaked at 10.54 metres on Thursday morning, with properties in town avoiding the damage initially feared when the river was forecast to hit 10.65m.

Farmers downstream are now set for an agonising wait to see if floodwater — driven by heavy rainfall and millions of litres of water spilling from the at-capacity Wyangala Dam — will settle and destroy crops for the second time since the 2016 floods.

Bedgerabong farmer Scott Darcy, who lost three quarters of his crops worth half a million dollars in 2016, said he was facing losing a similar amount again.

Farmer Scott Darcy at his flooded farm near Forbes. Picture: Jonathan Ng

“The dam, they’ve got to look at it and just get it done, because this is costing millions of dollars,” he said.

“It’s not nature … it’s all happening because someone released the water (from Wyangala Dam).

“We were that close to making a lot of money like a lot of people in the Lachlan Valley, then we lost it.”

“It’s disappointing that the powers that be (won’t speed it up) … this is people’s lives, some people won’t come through this.”

Neighbour Melissa Brown said the 2016 event wiped out crops and pastures for livestock on their farm, with Lachlan Valley farmers now waiting to see what damage the 2021 flood would create.

“The hardest part is being so close to harvest,” she said, adding she “definitely” supported the dam wall being raised.

Farmer Melissa Brown with daughter Halle at their flooded farm near Forbes on Thursday. Picture: Jonathan Ng

“I think it’ll take away these major events.”

Riverina MP Michael McCormack told The Daily Telegraph that “now is the time” to raise the wall at Wyangala declaring “it needs to be ticked off” and that the Federal Government would “very much look at it” if additional funding was needed.

“If there ever was ever proof positive that we should raise the Wyangala Dam wall by 10 metres, it is now (given) the amount of money you’d save given the fact we average a flood in Forbes every seven years and it’s been five years since the last one,” he said.

Premier Dominic Perrottet during a press conference at the SES Divisional Command in Forbes on Thursday. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Mr Perrottet denied the proposal had come to a halt, two years after the NSW Government announced the dam-wall raising project in 2019, but declined to give a time frame when the business case would be finished.

“These are complex projects where the due diligence needs to be completed and the government makes a decision off the back of it,” he said.

“We remain completely committed to critical infrastructure right across the state, including communities like Forbes … we have committed to doing that due diligence.”

Forbes Mayor Phyllis Miller confirmed the council had applied for the area to be declared a natural disaster zone, as the community braces for up to 30mm of rain forecasted for over the weekend.