Flemington wall worsened Maribyrnong flooding – but it won’t be torn down

The Flemington Racecourse flood wall raised water levels for at least 240 homes in Maribyrnong during 2022’s heavy downpours, including some homes that likely would have avoided inundation if it had not been built.

But the final Melbourne Water report into the Maribyrnong River flood, which focused specifically on the impacts of Flemington Racecourse’s 2.4-metre wall, found the effects were not significant enough to justify tearing it down.

Antoinette Bufalino, who was flooded in October 2022, is a member of the Maribyrnong Community Recovery Association. She is shocked by the report findings and calls for the Flemington Racecourse wall to be pulled down.Credit: Chris Hopkins

The wall increased flood levels by 0.8 centimetres to 3 centimetres in some residential areas and lengthened its duration said the report, released on Friday.

It concluded some properties flooded that “most likely” would have avoided inundation had the Victoria Racing Club not built the wall in 2007.

In industrial parts of West Melbourne and Kensington, the flood level in October 2022 was six centimetres higher than it would have been without the wall. One expert said the level of flooding was in line with what authorities had been warned would occur.

The state opposition questioned whether the Labor government or Melbourne Water, which is government-owned, would fund mitigation measures to prevent future flood damage from the wall.

The review’s independent panel, chaired by Justice Tony Pagone, assessed new modelling by technical consultants Jacobs to determine that the flood level in several locations significantly exceeded what would be a generally permissible impact of a development.

The report noted that while an impact of more than one centimetre might be acceptable for projects of wide societal benefit, the principle guiding the construction of the wall was that any adverse effects “must be identified and prevented”.

The type of damage that may have been caused by the flood wall includes destroyed furniture, skirting boards, electrical work and stock losses for businesses.

Melbourne Water managing director Dr Nerina Di Lorenzo said the wall’s impact on homes, which flooded by an average of 80 centimetres during the event, did not justify pulling it down.

“The evidence doesn’t support removal of the wall, given that the average impact on residential property was 1.7 centimetres,” she said.

Di Lorenzo acknowledged that the wall’s mitigation works, which were also built by the Victoria Racing Club with Melbourne Water’s approval, did not perform as well as expected. She said the water authority was examining options including levees, pipe work and improved emergency management.

Friday’s report was the final and much-anticipated part of Melbourne Water’s review after the racecourse wall sparked widespread community anger when the track remained pristine as residents waded through their muddied homes.

The outrage flared after former Victoria Racing Club chief executive Dale Monteith praised the flood wall, posting on X - then known as Twitter - “then and now” pictures of previous flooding at the racetrack.

“Pretty happy that we have left a legacy for future of Flemington. Was always going to happen but ignored previously,” he wrote in a since-deleted post.

Maribyrnong resident Antoinette Bufalino, who was flooded in October 2022 and is a member of the Maribyrnong Community Recovery Association, was shocked by Friday’s report findings and called for the wall to be pulled down.

Bufalino has lived opposite the Maribyrnong River for 22 years and believes the flood wall’s impact was even more severe. “That wall has changed everything. They don’t want to hear what we have to say,” she said.

The racecourse wall has been a point of tension for the community ever since plans for it were lodged by the Victoria Racing Club in 2003.

The flood wall around Flemington Racecourse on October 14, 2022.Credit: Aisha Dow

Residents campaigned against it, arguing that erecting the structure around a natural floodplain would push water into their homes. It was built in 2007 after Labor’s then planning minister Mary Delahunty overturned a bid by the Maribyrnong, Melbourne and Moonee Valley councils to block it.

The flood wall was approved with Melbourne Water modelling showing it wouldn’t increase the risk to people and property if certain compensatory steps were taken.

Di Lorenzo said she couldn’t comment on decisions made almost 20 years ago. “That was a model that was completed before the time of the iPhone but that was the best information at that time,” she said.

“We have much better information today and we’ve got 20 years of development.”

A Victoria Racing Club spokesperson said the organisation would be reviewing the findings of the report and would work with authorities.

“Approval for the flood wall and flood mitigation works was obtained in 2004 ... and these works were completed in 2007 in accordance with the approvals granted,” they said.

Hydrologist Geoff Crapper worked at Melbourne Water and its predecessor, the Melbourne Metropolitan Board of Works, for three decades until 2003 and was among those who opposed the flood wall’s construction.

“The increased level of flooding by up to 3 centimetres at Maribyrnong township caused by the Flemington flood wall was the amount of increased flooding all the experts were agreed on would occur,” he said.

The Flemington Racecourse flood wall kept the track in perfect condition while Maribyrnong homes flooded.Credit: Emma Johnston

Opposition water spokesman Tim McCurdy labelled the report a “damning indictment against Labor” for ignoring the concerns of councils and residents two decades ago.

“Because the compensatory works completely failed to offset the increased flood levels due to the new wall, dozens of additional homes were flooded,” McCurdy said.

“Money will need to be spent to undertake remedial works to reduce the water levels during flooding, as should have been the case.

“Regardless of whether Melbourne Water or the Victorian government pay for these works, we all know that it will be the taxpayer footing the bill at the end of the day.”

Victorian Greens leader Ellen Sandell called on the state government to demand the racecourse wall be removed.

“People in Kensington and Maribyrnong should be furious at the Labor state government for approving the racecourse flood wall, as this report shows clearly that it did worsen the floods,” she said.

A spokeswoman for Water Minister Harriet Shing said: “We will work with Melbourne Water to address the findings of the report and identify areas to improve flood mitigation, communication and response efforts.”

The flood review panel’s initial report, released in October, recommended Melbourne Water conduct more regular reviews of flood models, called for improvements to forecast and warning systems, suggested property buybacks might be needed and found the flood risk at Rivervue retirement village in Avondale Heights, where 47 properties were inundated, could worsen with climate change.

Melbourne Water this week released new flood modelling for the Maribyrnong River catchment, predicting the risk today and in the year 2100. The most significant changes are to some residential areas of the suburbs of Maribyrnong and Kensington.

The Melbourne Water review, ordered by former premier Daniel Andrews, was criticised last year because of a perceived lack of independence and because of the limited scope of its terms of reference.

A wider-ranging flood parliamentary inquiry was later established after extensive reporting by The Age and the backing of Coalition, Greens and crossbench MPs. Its final report is yet to be tabled.

The flooded streets of Maribyrnong in October 2022 after the river burst its banks.Credit: Chris Hopkins

The October 2022 flood hit more than 600 homes and businesses across Maribyrnong, Avondale Heights, Kensington and Ascot Vale. It was the third-worst flood on record for the Maribyrnong River; only floods in 1974 and 1906 have hit the area harder.

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