Victorian floods: Shepparton, Echuca brace for major flooding, looters hit homes
Anxious farmers say Goulburn-Murray Water’s decision to release more water from the Lake Eildon catchment is putting livestock at risk.
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Farmers with thousands of cattle stranded on Victorian farmland due to flood waters are growing more anxious by the hour, as millions of litres of water continues to be released from major catchments.
Anxious farmers are upset with the lack of communication regarding Goulburn-Murray Water’s decision to release more water from the Lake Eildon catchment, continuing to flood nearby farms and putting livestock at risk.
“Goulburn-Murray Water are still letting huge amounts of water out of Eildon… (at 1am) Friday morning they were emptying out 29 thousand megalitres, then at four o’clock in the morning they bumped it up to 36 thousand megalitres without any warning for farmers,” local farmer Glen Ridge said.
“There’s probably around about 1300 to 2000 head of cattle which are stranded on river flats down by the Goulburn River.
“That’s nearly $4 million worth of animals there… there’s a dilemma of how they’re going to get their animals off the river flats.
“If they can’t get the cattle out soon with the extra rain coming in and the water coming down, I’m not sure how they’re going to get out.
“There doesn’t seem to be much warning happening from Goulburn-Murray Water to say what’s happening.”
Impacted farmers will continue the anxious wait with a wet forecast predicted for much of the state later this week.
— Regan Hodge
SUPERMARKET SHELVES ‘STRIPPED BARE’
Anxious Moama and Echuca residents have ‘stripped bare’ supermarket shelves, as they brace for major flooding in the area on Wednesday.
Supermarkets have been busy since opening their doors on Monday morning.
A long queue had formed at the door of the Moama Woolworths more than half an hour before it opened its doors at 10am.
By the afternoon, the bakery section and bread aisle had been stripped bare.
Some fresh produce remained, but no potatoes, while little choice on offer in the meat fridges.
No dry cat or dog food remained, though there was some tinned food left on the shelves for afternoon shoppers.
It comes as the latest data from BOM shows the water levels in the Campaspe River — which has flooded parts of Echuca and cut the town in half — is receding.
With multiple already flooded rivers feeding into the Murray, incident controller Greg Murphy told the Herald Sun that flood waters would continue to rise in coming days.
He said the river level would peak at Echuca in the next 36-48 hours, and the downstream effect would be felt “for some time”.
It comes as the defence force and emergency personnel have worked with locals to fill sandbags and erect walls around homes and businesses throughout Monday.
Mr Murphy said this, as well as a technique using clay and plastic, was being used to bolster the levy which runs between the river and Echuca township.
“That’s on the basis that the modelling is suggesting that the current height is insufficient, so we are working diligently with heavy equipment and personnel to increase the height to a level that we believe is required,” he said.
Mr Murphy said the military had been supporting emergency services in both the flood response but also with running the relief centre for evacuated residents in Bendigo.
He said their assistance would increase as the situation was predicted to worsen in coming days — including by providing aircraft.
He reiterated the evacuation warning currently in place for Echuca, stating it was the preference of emergency services that people leave the area if they haven’t already.
“We are doing what we can but this is a shared responsibility.
“We are providing as much information as we can to allow people to make informed decisions and our recommendation is to evacuate.
“We don’t have the power to force evacuations but are providing as much information as possible in support of evacuating and we encourage people to follow the advice.”
For those still unsure if their properties were at risk of flooding, he recommended erring on the side of caution and evacuating.
“I’m not going to say we are in a race against the clock but we have a program of works to undertake [before the peak].
“We’re doing our very best to support the community and ask they do the same to support us.”
The bridge over the flooded Campaspe River “opportunistically” opened briefly on Monday, but Mr Murphy said it was difficult to foresee when it would reopen again.
Earlier, the Hurn family enjoyed a well deserved beer together on Sunday night after an exhausting day of filling and stacking hundreds of sandbags around their business.
Emotions were high as they looked out at the rapidly rising Murray River, amid worries about how they would be affected.
Ken, Janine and Bianca Hurn have owned the Murray River Holiday Park for seven years but the last few years of that have been tumultuous — first with the Covid pandemic and months of booking cancellations, and now an impending flood threat.
Mr Hurn has been preparing for the flood for about a week, since before the rain hit.
He was feeling “anxious” on Sunday, with the waters—already lapping at the edge of their property—expected to rise about another metre.
“It’s eerie and too close for comfort,” Ms Hurn said.
Despite their worries and exhaustion, their spirits had been boosted by the “amazing” community spirit on show on Sunday.
Armed with shovels, friends, family and even strangers streamed in to help them to fill sandbags and do what they could to protect their property.
She added that seeing the flood impact on nearby holiday parks along the Murray — some which have already started to flood — and in nearby communities, like Rochester, was “hard”.
“Now it’s a waiting game,” she said.
– Hayley Elg
Looters steal $15k in valuables from flooded home
The victim of an early morning looting at Maribyrnong says the theft of his family’s last few possessions was a “kick in the nuts”.
The victim, who asked not to be identified as he had kept the extent of the damage at his family’s Burton Cr home from his children, said he was alerted to the looting after a Today Show cameraman called police to report three suspicious men coming out of his home around 7am.
The family had been overwhelmed with community support since flood waters from the Maribyrnong River swept through their home.
They moved their valuables and electronics to the second floor, only to have thieves steal an estimated $15,000 worth of laptops, iPads, and bicycles.
“That’s it, all their things are gone.”
Among those who were on Monday offering help were total strangers.
“I have been lucky, with all of the positivity the last couple of days, and then this, they just kick you in the nuts,” the victim said.
“The amount of people helping and volunteering, it’s just been unbelievable.”
He said 30 or 40 friends, family members and total strangers had helped pull furniture and carpet from his home, and pressure wash his walls and floors.
Victoria Police was told a blue Ford Territory pulled up outside a Burton Cr property about 7am on Monday.
It’s believed a man, wearing high-vis clothing, a beanie and a face mask, ransacked the unoccupied home and stole multiple items including iPads and electrical appliances.
Two men remained inside the vehicle during the burglary but fled the scene when the media turned up to report on the impacts of the floods.
It’s understood the homeowner spent a night away for a birthday after floodwaters destroyed parts of the property.
Some other items were dumped at the door, including priceless photos of the homeowner’s children.
Maribyrnong MP Bill Shorten called the looters “disgusting”.
“Having walked around those streets, the fact that someone could look at a flood-damaged house and think they can just help themselves, is really despicable,” he told 3AW.
Emergency Management Minister Murray Watt said the behaviour was “un-Australian”.
“I met people in the last couple of days who have lost everything, and are really traumatised,” he told 9 News.
“So, to have looting happen on top of that is completely unacceptable, and I’m sure that the police are doing everything they can to get that under control.”
Police said the investigation was ongoing.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Police say there have been no reports of looting from flood-affected towns in regional Victoria.
PUSH FOR VICTIMS TO GET EXTRA PSYCHOLOGY APPOINTMENTS
The Medicare rebate that allowed Black Summer bushfire survivors to access extra mental health support should be reinstated for flood victims, one of the country’s peak psychology bodies says.
Australians impacted by the devastating fires were given access to Medicare rebates for an extra 10 mental health appointments in 2020, and did not need a general practitioner’s referral.
As Victoria enters its fifth day of flooding, the Australian Association of Psychologists (AAPi) has called for the Federal Government to reinstate the extra sessions.
The group is pushing for the Medicare rebates to cover any large-scale disaster, pandemic or traumatic event – as opposed to being tied to specific events – so that people can access help quickly post-disaster.
AAPi executive director Tegan Carrison said while relief payments announced last week help in the short term, disasters can have “devastating” ongoing mental health impacts.
“This current flood disaster means that unfortunately, demand for the kind of mental health care covered by these (Medicare) item numbers is again evident,” she said.
“These Medicare item numbers, once specifically created for bushfire victims, must be reinstated and expanded to cover any form of disaster.
“We are calling on the Federal Government to be proactive in establishing trauma and disaster recovery item numbers so people can receive the support they need, when they need it.”
Ms Carrison said the removal of the general practitioner referral can reduce costs, time delays and stigma.
“Self-referral to psychologists was a key part of the bushfire response item numbers,” she said.
“This meant that clients did not have to wait until a GP was available and were not required to have a diagnosed mental health condition, prior to requesting psychological services for support after a disaster.”
Eligible Australians can currently access Medicare rebates for a maximum of 20 psychologist appointments per calendar year.
But this is set to be reduced to 10 when funding for extra appointments — introduced after rates of mental illness increased during the pandemic — ends on December 31 2022.
— Sarah Booth
Charlton welcomes clean up
Buloke Shire Mayor Daryl Warren has welcomed offers of clean-up help from local governments across Victoria, saying it’s an example of the “good old Aussie way”.
Mr Warren is visiting Charlton on Monday after the northwest Victorian town was hit by flooding on Sunday.
He said the town appears to have avoided much of the damage earlier predicted but notes the clean up effort will likely take weeks.
“Already we’ve had offers from other local government areas that wern’t affected to send help our way,” he said.
“We’ve got a small workforce and the big issue is we can already see they’ll be exhausted soon. It’s great to see offers come in from places like Hobsons Bay in Melbourne who really supported us after the 2011 flood.”
Emergency Services warned Charlton was facing a second peak on Monday morning which reached 7.78m by 11.45am, below the 8m levels predicted which likely would have resulted in widespread inundation.
Avoca River levels at Charlton have fallen to 7.69m as of 3pm, according to the Bureau of Meteorology, however the flooding event is expected to remain for three to five days.
Communities across northern Victoria have raised concerns homes and businesses in evacuated areas could become the target of opportunistic thieves.
“It happened here during the 2011 floods,” Charlton resident Stephen Perry said.
“My neighbours stayed home yesterday (Sunday) and were keeping an eye on the street.
“It’s a small town. normally I can recognise everyone and their car but during a flood you get so many passing through. Who knows what’s happening.”
– Liam Beatty, Craig Dunlop and Brooke Grebert-Craig
Residents leaving Echuca in droves
Traffic is heavy on the Murray Valley Highway out of Echuca as droves of people appear to be leaving the regional town on Monday.
The delays seem to be as people try to cross over the Campaspe River.
It exodus comes as the majority of cafes, restaurants and retail businesses remain closed in the main township.
Instead of people, the streets are lined with sandbags.
In the residential parts of the town, neighbours have been supporting each other as water continues breaking the banks of the Campaspe River.
Joy Debeny, who lives on Murray St, was one resident helping her elderly neighbours protect their home of about 40 years on Monday morning.
She has been staying at her daughter’s house in Moama each night but has been returning to protect her and her neighbours’ homes by day.
Residents joined forces to sandbag their homes, which back on to the Campaspe River.
Some water had already broken the banks by Monday morning, with authorities on scene to pump it out of properties.
“It’s chaotic and scary,” Ms Debeny said. “It’s going to go over.”
– Hayley Elg
Too late to leave Murchison, evacuation orders for Charlton
It is now too late to leave Murchison. An evacuation order remains in place, however residents are being warned it is now too late. Major flooding has peaked around 12.05 metres, which is significantly higher than the May 1974 flood.
Charlton and Bunbartha residents are also being ordered to evacuate immediately.
– Brittany Carlson
Premier’s flood package for regional towns
Premier Daniel Andrews has announced a $351 million package to assist regional communities with recovery efforts, as authorities warn the fight is not over.
The state government has committed an extra $165 million to assist with emergency road repairs as Victoria reaches its sixth day of major flooding.
Mr Andrews said crews were working “around the clock” to restore access to roads, with more than 10,000 potholes repaired so far.
“With more rain forecast in the coming days, the immediate focus is on making key roads usable and safe for emergency services and freight, so vital supplies can reach affected communities as quickly as possible,” he said.
The Western, Hume and Loddon Mallee regions, where larger-scale works are required due to extensive damage, will be the key areas of focus, with hundreds of residents isolated as flood waters swamp regional Victoria.
The state’s flood recovery management plan will be granted a $150 million boost, which will be rolled out immediately to assist with a state co-ordinated clean up in areas like Maribyrnong, where flood waters are receding.
Victorians impacted by the major flooding event who are uninsured will be awarded access to up to $42,250 to help pay for clean-up, repairs, rebuilding and replacing household contents.
The government also announced up to $15 million to help families with housing, health and wellbeing, and financial and legal counselling.
SES chief Tim Wiebusch said while flood waters had subsided in some areas, the fight was not over in regional Victoria.
“There are still many rivers and communities that are under threat of major flooding in these coming days,” he said.
Mr Wiebusch said around 85 per cent of properties in the Rochester township have been inundated.
More than 11,000 applications have been submitted for the government’s $2000 emergency payment, with 3000 of those already paid out.
Across the state, more than 1800 Victorians are currently without power as substations are suspended due to safety concerns.
“This event is far from over,” The Premier said on Monday morning.
“This is going to be with us for an extended period.”
Mr Andrews didn’t rule out announcing a state of disaster but said there was currently “no need”.
Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp agreed, adding that there would be “no benefit whatsoever at the moment”.
He clarified that the establishment of a state of disaster would not affect the government’s ability to offer financial support.
“Not declaring a state of disaster in Victoria, in no way impacts, impedes any of the announcements the Premier has made,” he said.
The state and federal government are yet to finalise disaster funding arrangements.
– Carly Douglas
Resident says levee could have spared Maribyrnong homes
A resident in one of the worst hit streets in Maribyrnong says a small levee in the parks lining the river could have prevented millions of dollars worth of damage to his and his neighbours’ homes.
Eddie Hunter fled his Oakland St, Maribyrnong, home when all five phones in his house rang with emergency services warnings.
Mr Hunter and his wife Carmel previously lost a home in a fire.
“We just knew, get your stuff and go,” Carmel said.
“We thought everyone would have the same response as us.”
SES crews had to pluck a family from the top of a carport across the street.
Mr Hunter said flood levees could easily have protected low-lying homes without ruining the views of parklands that line the Maribyrnong River.
“It all happened in half an hour, it just crept up,” he said.
“We have been here 20 years and its never flooded in that time … we know it has flooded, everyone knows it has flooded, we just thought they had cleared the river better upstream so there was a bit more flow.”
– Craig Dunlop
Hold-outs rescued from flooded homes
Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp said multiple floodwater rescues were performed in Victoria’s north on Monday morning.
“We’ve been advising residents in Shepparton, Mooroopna and Kialla for a number of days to evacuate,” he told 3AW.
“Some people have made the decision not to evacuate which has then resulted in the need for them to be rescued.
“But the positive news at this stage is that there are definitely no reports of fatalities or serious injuries.”
Mr Crisp said the most critical towns were Shepparton and Mooroopna with evacuation notices in place for Charlton, Echuca and Bunbartha.
“Echuca had its first peak, so that happened overnight, but as this water works its way up to Goulburn, it will see a second peak in Echuca on Tuesday and Wednesday,” he said.
“Even though the water is slightly receding in Echuca, it’s still got major flooding levels, there’s still significant risk there but it’s the next peak we are looking at.”
Mr Crisp said a State of Disaster had not yet been declared despite wild weather and flooding expected to last four to six weeks.
– Brooke Grebert-Craig
PM offers support to flood ravaged towns
Helicopters that can move generators and heavy equipment have been deployed to Victoria, as flood waters continue to threaten Shepparton and Echuca.
Anthony Albanese on Monday said the towns were under “great pressure” and his government was ready to provide whatever support was requested.
More than 100 defence force personnel are on the ground in Victoria, providing support with evacuations, sandbagging and some early clean-up efforts.
The Prime Minister, who alongside Daniel Andrews flew over flood-affected parts of the state on Sunday, said many bumper crops had been devastated.
But Mr Albanese warned the danger was not over yet, with the potential for further rain events.
“Yesterday when I was in the chopper over Rochester … we watched with just incredulity, two cars going through what was clearly a flooded road up to the window level,” he said.
“That makes no sense. Do not take a risk. If it’s flooded, forget it. As simple as that.”
– Jade Gailberger
Nervous wait for Shepp as record floodwaters approach
The riverside towns and cities hit by Victoria’s worst flooding in decades face a potential second wave of devastation from widespread rain forecast for much of the state this week.
The wet weather is expected to hit just as the waters at the worst-hit regional towns and cities are expected to start returning to normal levels.
Echuca and Shepparton are both forecast to receive up to 25mm of rain on Thursday, with more rain likely to fall on already sodden ground on Friday and Saturday.
The deluged areas will be just days into their clean-ups when the next rain hits.
But weary Shepparton residents got a reprieve overnight with the swollen Goulburn River rising slower than expected.
The Goulburn River at Shepparton had been expected to peak at 12.2m, but was holding steady at around 12.05m around 6am on Monday.
It is now expected to peak at around 12.1m late Monday morning, which will take it past the 1974 flood level of 12.09m.
An SES spokesperson, speaking from the State Control Centre, said 7300 homes across Shepparton, Mooroopna and Kialla and up to 400 in Echuca are expected to be impacted by these floods.
However, he said it was too early to tell how many houses have already been inundated.
There are 14 major warnings in place across the state.
Residents in Echuca, Charlton and Bunbartha in the state’s north were being told to evacuate immediately at 6am Monday, while those at Shepparton, Mooroopna, Murchison, Orrvale and Kialla West are being told it is too late to leave.
The towns on Sunday were cut off from each other as the main road link – the Peter Ross-Edwards Causeway – was closed.
Residents were busy piling up sandbags to protect holiday parks on the water’s edge on Sunday afternoon, as it had already seeped into parks on the NSW side of the river.
“We are expecting over this week to see further rain,” SES chief operations officer Tim Wiebusch said.
“The Bureau has indicated that we could see another 20mm to 50mm of rain, particularly over the northeast catchments, in the later part of (the) week.”
The SES could not say what effect the forecast rain would have on river heights.
Mr Wiebusch said his agency would update its plans in coming days, as the weather forecast “continues to firm up”.
Crews battle to get food in
Emergency workers are struggling to get food deliveries into the Rochester disaster zone.
Some residents who stayed in the town have already begun ripping out carpet and ruined furniture.
However, the town’s supermarket remains cut off and the roads have been badly broken up by the floodwaters.
Rochester SES unit controller Tim Williams said crews feared people returning home would get stuck on the roads.
Mr Williams said the river level was still above major flood height and people should delay their return to the town.
Emergency workers were also trying to secure skip bins to start loading debris.
The flood-ravaged community is still mourning the loss of Kevin Wills, 71, who was found in his backyard.
Pumped townsfolk save CBD
An amazing community effort has saved some businesses in Murchison from being wiped out in the catastrophic Victorian floods.
Nicholls federal Nationals MP Sam Birrell said parts of the town — about 160km north of Melbourne — were badly damaged by floodwater.
“There is a levee bank between the garden and the river bank – there’s the shops on one side of the road and the garden and then the river on the other,’’ he said.
“That (levee) seems to have done its job thanks to the furious efforts of locals to sandbag and pump water from the Main St back into the river over the levee.
“(It’s an) amazing effort by the locals.
“That seems to have saved, from my information, the Main St businesses but unfortunately there have been some houses that have been inundated and a winery called Murchison Winery … has been damaged but its cellar door is intact.”
He said he hoped the town was past the worst of the flood.
“All that water is now swelling around the Shepparton area and there is also significant water in the Main St of Mooroopna.”
He called on the state government to ask Canberra for urgent cash to help flood victims rebuild.
Additional reporting by Hayley Elg, Kimberley Seedy, Julieanne Strachan
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