Hobart CBD dodged a bullet during the flood, says council

HOBART City Council says the central business district “escaped a significant bullet” during the floods, thanks to mitigation infrastructure installed further up the rivulet.

Hobart Lord Mayor Ron Christie speaks about the storm. Picture: MATT THOMPSON

HOBART City Council says the central business district “escaped a significant bullet” during the floods, thanks to mitigation infrastructure installed further up the rivulet.

Lord Mayor Ron Christie described the storm and flooding of Thursday night and Friday as “an unprecedented rare extreme weather event”.

MORE: THE FLOOD CLEANUP - IMPORTANT INFORMATION

“We had six months of water fall on Mt Wellington within 24 hours, which is incredible,” Alderman Christie said.

‘I know it’s been described as a 100-year event, it’s actually a 50-year event. This happened in April 1960 and then 50 years prior to that. The water came over in that same low-lying area of Wapping. It then goes down Market St and into the cove.”

Ald Christie said the CBD could have fared as badly as it did in 1960, when much of the CBD was inundated, if not for steel and concrete catchment structures installed in the rivulet upstream from Molle St.

Contractors and council workers scoop up debris from the storm. Picture: MATT THOMPSON

“It probably saved the CBD. That infrastructure was designed to slow the water down and also capture boulders and large pieces of timber. That worked,” he said.

The council’s planning director Neil Noye agreed.

“In 1960 a lot of those boulders and logs blocked up the rivulet and water was forced out and into the streets and shops. That didn’t happen and we were able to escape what I think was a fairly significant bullet for the CBD,” Mr Noye said.

Ald Christie also expressed his fears that climate change would lead to a repeat of the ordeal of Thursday and Friday, warning Hobart residents to prepare for more extreme weather.

“This event we’ve experienced could happen again,” Ald Christie said.

“We are three weeks away from the first day of winter. Climate change is real, climate change is happening. I’m saying to the community of Hobart, let’s be prepared because we may see an extreme winter. I hope I’m wrong, I’ll apologise if I am.”