Weir failure threatens river west Victorian town

The Wimmera has yet to peak at Dimboola, where residents are braced for damage

DIMBOOLA became the new focus of Victoria's flood emergency last night amid fears that the town's weir could fail, sending floodwaters cascading through its streets and into homes.

Many of the town's 2000 residents were evacuating their homes last night after the SES issued an emergency warning that the weir was "in danger of failure" and that this could send "fast-flowing water" through the town.

Deputy Premier Peter Ryan said yesterday water was "washing across the top of the Dimboola weir", which is under severe pressure from the swollen Wimmera River.

The river is not expected to peak in Dimboola until today.

Floodwaters peaked in the town of Warracknabeal yesterday, flooding some streets but largely sparing the homes of its 2500 residents.

"We've got a lot of water in our street and nearby Coral Avenue is under water," resident Judy Smith said yesterday. "But every house in our street has sandbags to protect it and so far I don't think any homes have been flooded.

"We are all relieved that this has not been quite as bad as we thought -- everyone has made such a massive effort to protect their homes."

An elderly resident, 85-year-old Isa Newell, said she had never seen the Yarriambiack Creek so swollen, including when she crossed it in a horse and buggy as a young girl.

"I am OK and my feet are dry, but I've never seen water like it in the creek and I think a lot of people were very concerned," she said.

"There are some streets flooded with water and it's hard to get around the place.

"I saw a little footbridge last night and the water was only a few inches under it but today I could not see the bridge at all. It was under water."

Pam Zanker, an assistant at the Warracknabeal pharmacy, said the water was coming into the streets from stormwater drains but sandbags had stopped most of it. "It's creeping up the main street but anyone who is under threat has sandbagged extensively," she said.

The town was also protected by a levee built in recent days to help contain the Wimmera and, despite minor leakage, the main levees held yesterday.

Local taxi owner Russell Crow said the flood was not doing too much damage to the town, but was not good for his business.

"There's not a great demand for taxis," he said. "We can't get out of town because of the water."

In the northern Victorian town of Pyramid Hill, where an evacuation warning was issued on Tuesday, locals said emergency levees had held back most of the water from the town.

"At the moment we are holding the water back but the water is still rising on the west side of the town and I don't know if it has peaked," said local resident Jarro Treacy.