Flood spells disaster for Lower Clarence sugar and soya bean crops

“Not great for the cane farmers... the soya beans are swimming, so they’re going to be stuffed.”

The flood level at Grafton has reached 6.3m at midday on Wednesday, 24th March, 2021. The Bureau of Meteorology has predicted a peak of 6.8m on Wednesday night. The major flood level is 5.40m.

There are fears floodplain crops in the Lower Clarence region will be destroyed as major flood levels in the Clarence River are expected to peak tonight.

Agronomist Steve Leeson lives at Swan Creek, several kilometres downstream of Grafton where the floodplain is predominantly used for cattle grazing.

He spoke to The Daily Examiner around midday on Wednesday when the Prince St, Grafton gauge read 6.30m, still 50cm below the predicted peak expected to coincide with the high tide at about 10.30pm.

The flood level at Grafton has reached 6.3m at midday on Wednesday, 24th March, 2021. The Bureau of Meteorology has predicted a peak of 6.8m on Wednesday night. The major flood level is 5.40m.

“At Swan Creek it looks like we’ve dodged a bullet,” he said. “A lot of places are probably feeling fairly fortunate.

“This one’s fairly minor compared to the big three from 2010 onward. A lot of people haven’t moved their cattle which is a big expense and makes life awkward, so they’re fairly fortunate at the moment.

“But it’s still early days. It’s only March and we haven’t got rid of April.”

The Clarence River was lapping the yard of Peter Leeson's house at Swan Creek on Wednesday, when Grafton was at 6.3m, still 0.5m below the predicted peak. The agronomist said floods in 2010 and 2013 reached just below the floor level of his house.

While he said properties in his area may have escaped the worst, further downstream the flood could spell disaster for crops such as sugar and soya beans.

Mr Leeson said he would not be surprised if floodwaters at Maclean exceeded the Bureau of Meteorology’s predicted major flood peak of 2.60m due to hit on Thursday morning.

“Ulmarra seems to have missed it, but the Coldstream (River) is a little bit late peaking so we don’t really know what will happen there. It could come in later on and then gradually fill up,” he said.

“Downriver, I had a quick drive down there, and I think it might actually cop a bit more water than what they’re talking about.

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“It’s lapping at a few banks and it only has to rise a few more inches for it to spill into a few places.

“Cane farmers at Shark Creek in particular are getting absolutely hammered, and if we get hot days like this, thirty degrees, with water in the cane it cooks it, so not great for the cane farmers.

“A lot of the soya beans, they’re swimming, so they’re going to be stuffed. The chances are the majority of the soya beans in the lower areas of the Clarence will be gone.”