Townships of Echuca and Kerang still facing flood threat
Victoria’s flood-affected areas will get a boost of hospital staff amid the ongoing crisis. It comes as a community in the state’s north paid tribute to a man who died in floodwaters.
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A farmer has been remembered for his hardworking nature and love of life after family found his lifeless body in floodwaters in Victoria’s north.
Bryan Hack, 65, was found dead by a family member on Paynes Rd in Nathalia on Wednesday about 8.45am.
Victoria Police said Bryan was last known to be on a tractor on a property off Blacksmiths Rd on Tuesday afternoon.
Emergency services commenced a search in the area when concerns were raised for his welfare when he didn’t return home about 10pm.
Bryan’s tractor was later found unoccupied in floodwaters.
His children, Andrew and Kim Hack, told the Herald Sun they were heartbroken over their dad’s death.
The pair said Bryan was a hardworking man who loved living on his farm.
“Dad enjoyed being on his farm, he loved when family visited and could show off his machinery and what project he was working on,” Ms Hack said.
“He was always there when someone needed a hand and never hesitated to help out in all situations.”
Mr Hack said his dad was smart, creative and a great mechanic.
“You’d rarely see him sitting still and always had things on the go,” he said.
Mr Hack said he shared many special memories with Bryan.
“The Easter camping trips were definitely the most memorable, we’d spend a long time out at the Barmah Forest, he’d take us motorbike riding and shooting,” he said.
“We would cook and I would love how he would build a camp shower and heat the water from the campfire.”
Ms Hack said her love for horses came from him.
“I was the youngest and always daddy’s little girl, even once I was an adult and had kids of my own, he would still introduce me as his baby girl,” she said.
“My love for horses came from when dad and his wife Gwenifer bought me my first horse at age 11. I’ll never forget that pony and how much joy I had.”
Ms Hack said she spent many hours on the farm, learning skills from her dad.
“Dad had one rule, I could go anywhere I wanted, I just wasn’t allowed to leave the perimeter of the farm,” she said.
“I spent many hours in the paddocks with Dad, him teaching me to drive tractors, slashing and ploughing paddocks and getting ready to bail or seed them.
“So many memories that I’ll hold to my heart.”
Pioneer Country Carriage Drivers Secretary Bridie White said Bryan was a hardworking man.
“Bryan was an important and loved member of Pioneer Country Carriage Drivers for many years and will be dearly missed,” she said.
“He was an extremely hard worker and we will all miss his love of life, his conversation and his company.”
Hospital staff to be deployed to flood zones
Two hundred hospital staff will be deployed to flood-affected areas for three months.
Emergency Services Minister Jaclyn Symes on Thursday said the floods had significantly affected staffing levels across the regional healthcare network.
Pharmacies in impacted areas, many of which operate with just one pharmacist, are struggling to process “extremely high levels” of scripts for displaced residents.
Impacted communities beginning the recovery phase are also facing the risk of mosquito invasions.
Victorians living in flood-affected communities will be offered a free vaccine against the Japanese Encephalitis Virus.
The state government has unveiled a dedicated monitoring and control system, which will prevent and control mosquitoes being drawn to flooded areas.
As part of the $6.5m in funding, an Environment Health and Field workforce will also be deployed to flooded regions to provide communities with advice on waste disposal and how to repair septic tanks.
It comes as health authorities warn that flooded sewers or septic tanks may contaminate clean drinking water sources.
That has also presented the risk of causing mould growth in properties, which can pose a serious risk to the human respiratory system.
“Inundation isn’t the only risk a flood brings,” Ms Symes said.
“It poses a serious threat to human health, so we’re supporting our flood-affected communities to stay safe now and in the months of recovery to come.
“This is going to be a long recovery, particularly for the areas that haven’t started recovering yet.”
Ms Symes said townships between Echuca and Barmah, as well as the Kerang township, remain of highest concern for authorities.
Currently, 56 schools and 61 early learning centres are closed.
Flood disaster payments extended
Financial support has been extended to more Victorians in flood-affected areas.
From 2pm on Thursday, the federal disaster recovery payment will be available for people who live in the local government areas of Buloke, Corangamite, Hepburn, Macedon Ranges, Melbourne and Pyrenees.
Adults eligible for the federal disaster recovery payment will receive $1000, while children will receive $400.
Equivalent financial assistance will also be available to eligible New Zealand citizens.
The Australian Government’s Disaster Recovery Allowance will also be made available to an additional 23 Victorian local government areas.
Forecast brings glimmer of hope to towns
Towns and cities in the state’s north were on Wednesday offered a glimmer of hope with less rain predicted over the coming days, amid fears more communities will become isolated in the flood crisis.
Premier Daniel Andrews said the downgraded weather forecast was “fantastic news”, but warned the danger threat for many was not over.
“We shouldn’t skate over the fact that there will be rain events in different parts of northern Victoria,” the Premier said.
“They’re already highly stressed, we’ve already got a lot of water in the landscape that’s causing really significant challenges, so any rainfall is not good, however, this moderated forecast of much less rain is obviously welcome news.”
It comes as the major flood event claimed a second life with a 65-year-old man found dead in the small town of Nathalia, north of Shepparton.
Emergency services began a search after loved ones raised the alarm after the man failed to return home about 10pm.
A relative found the man’s body in floodwaters on Paynes Rd on Wednesday morning.
“This person will be known to people right throughout his district, and to his family and friends we send our best wishes at what will be a very different time,” Mr Andrews said.
SES chief operations officer Tim Wiebusch said the Loddon River would remain a “key focus” for authorities over the coming days, with an evacuation order for Kerang issued on Wednesday afternoon.
Bureau of Meteorology spokesman Kevin Parkyn said upcoming weather didn’t appear to be as severe as last week, with widespread heavy falls predicted for Sunday now “off the table”.
“The expected rainfall over the coming days isn’t expected to be anywhere near as widespread or as intense or as heavy,” he said.
But forecasters remain concerned about widespread shower activity on Friday and Saturday that’s set to produce rainfall totals of between 2 and 10mm.
“It doesn’t sound like a lot but it could cause some local river rises across the northern plains,” Mr Parkyn said.
Thunderstorms are also threatening to cause havoc in some parts of the state, producing falls of 30mm or more in the state’s north.
Residents along the Murray River were also again warned to have their preparations in order on Wednesday, with the river expected to reach a level somewhere between 95 to 95.2 metres on Friday – exceeding the 1993 flood.
The Andrews government on Wednesday unveiled a $73.5m package to deliver financial support to farmers and small business owners impacted by the flood emergency.
A one-off $10,000 payment will be given to farmers to assist with the clean up, while primary producers can also claim up to 50 per cent of transport costs – up to $15,000 – for transport costs to move livestock, emergency fodder or drinking water.
Small businesses directly impacted by the crisis will be eligible for a one-off payment of $5000 to begin the clean up effort and return to their feet.
Mental health and wellbeing hubs, which were stood up during the pandemic to support extra demand, will receive a $1.5m funding boost in the worst-affected areas across regional Victoria and Melbourne’s west.
Mr Andrews said more financial assistance would be rolled out in the coming days and weeks. “I just want to stress – these are initial payments, there will be more but the certainty of knowing that this is available hopefully will be a comfort and provide some immediate benefit,” he said.
Donate to flood recovery efforts at: givit.org.au/storms-and-flooding
Kerang residents told it’s too late to leave
Residents in the town of Kerang, in Victoria’s northwest have told it is too late to leave as floodwaters from the Loddon river begin to rise.
VicEmergency warned on Wednesday afternoon residents to evacuate as they could be isolated for up to two weeks.
“It is now too late to leave for people in Kerang Township. If you have not evacuated, you should shelter in place” they said.
The Loddon River at the Patchell Bridges in Kerang is likely to exceed the moderate flood level of 77.50 m (Australian Height Datum) AHD on Thursday.
The river may reach the major flood level of 77.80m AHA on Friday morning, according to Emergency Services Victoria.
Australian Height Datum measures river height against the Australian mean sea level.
Most river gauges record height from the river bed.
The community was warned further rises are possible above the January 2011 peak of 78.03m.
Due to the high volume of water approaching, levels were expected to remain elevated for longer than they did during the 2011 flood event.
Authorities expect 50 to 60 properties will be inundated.
The Patchell Bridge, a busy thoroughfare out of the township, closed at 7pm on Wednesday for volunteers to erect a temporary levee bank.
A relief centre will be opened at Swan Hill, located at Swan Hill Basketball Stadium on Gray St.
Another centre is expected to open at Bendigo Showgrounds on Holmes Rd in Bendigo.
Victoria Police have advised officers from the North West Metro division of Melbourne have been deployed to Kerang to assist in the flood response.
— Shelby Garlick
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