By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
FLOODING in Narre Warren is being caused by an under-performing weir in Troups Creek, according to a Melbourne Water manager.
The information comes after a resident raised his concern over land on both sides of Princes Highway, close to Magid Drive and Westfield Fountain Gate, becoming flooded whenever it rains.
Local trader Les Donaldson called on the authorities responsible to clear the drains in Narre Warren and put a stop to the flooding which occurred again following heavy rain on Monday.
“The water is supposed to drain underneath the roads but the waterways are chockers with reeds,” he said.
“The water can’t get away. It doesn’t take much rain and it gets all clogged up.”
Melbourne Water Waterways Manager for the south-east region Greg Bain said his staff were aware of the flooding in Narre Warren and were working to resolve it.
“We believe the issue may relate to a weir in Troups Creek, downstream of the flooded area.
“The weir, which was built about 15 years ago, is designed for water to steadily pass through,” he said.
“Our investigations show that the weir isn’t performing as designed, which means the water is backing up and could be contributing to the flooding upstream.
“We will be undertaking works in the short term to ensure water flow is improved.”
Mr Bain said Melbourne Water was also looking at longer term solutions to improve the performance of the weir and ensure drainage in the area is working as effectively as possible.
“We met with Casey Council this week to discuss this issue and will continue to work closely with them to ensure our works achieve the best outcome for the community,” he said.
“We work with the State Emergency Service (SES), local government and Bureau of Meteorology to continually improve the capacity for communities to prepare for and respond to flood events.
“We encourage local residents to contact the SES and their local council to get guidance on preparing their own response plans to flooding.”
City of Casey manager of roads and construction Wayne Mack said the council continues to advocate on behalf of residents and business owners to Melbourne Water and the State Government to undertake the necessary maintenance and improvement works to the drainage system.
