Choked drains: Cleanout critical to road rebuild

Millions of dollars in road repairs will be wasted unless weed-choked and clogged drains are first cleaned out and repaired.

Road damage appears next to clogged or failed drain, such as this section of Leckies Rd, near Euroa. Picture: Zoe Phillips

Tallygaroopna farmer Natalie Akers fears the flood damage caused to roads and properties from poorly maintained drains will quickly be forgotten.

But the rural advocate wants action, calling on her fellow farmers and councils to start working towards solutions, suggesting a rate rebate for farmers who spray out weed-choked roadside drains may be one option.

“It’s not the most exciting topic, but drains are critical for getting water off our places and our roads,” Ms Akers said.

Natalie Akers on the roadside outside her family's dairy farm spraying weeds. Picture: Zoe Phillips

During the recent floods poorly constructed culverts and choked drains meant water backed up along the bitumen road outside the Akers’ property, which then spilt out across the road.

Right across northern Victoria farmers have reported blocked drains have resulted in water seeping into and destroying adjacent road foundations.

Australian Roads Research Board chief Michael Caltabiano has previously warned “water is kryptonite to roads” and that failing to clean out and repair drains simply undermines road repairs.

Yet Victorian Department of Transport reports show roadside drainage work has been cut back, from cleaning out 7000 culverts and roadside drainage pits in 2020-21 to 4000 in 2021-22.

Victorian Farmers Federation Planning, Environment and Climate Change committee chair Gerald Leach said the only solution to fixing drains was a co-operative approach between landholders and councils, which would need state government funding.

Municipal Association of Victoria president and Pyrenees councillor David Clark said councils were getting about $50,000 a year from the government for roadside weed management and that many had vast roadside drainage networks they struggled to maintain.

All up local councils must maintain 132,000kms of roadsides.

As for a rate rebate for farmers spraying out weeds in drains Mr Clark said that while landholders may have good intentions, they would get “burdened with red tape”.

“We (Pyrenees Council) were fined $100,000 for damaging some golden sun moth habitat on a roadside,” Mr Clark said.

The government does provide limited exemptions for clearing native vegetation on roadsides to protect motorists and for maintenance, but its guidelines are unclear when it comes to more extensive clearing of drains.