GCC Works To Manage Water Flow Due To Heavy Rainfall

We haven’t seen the last of the rain yet, but Griffith City Council is working closely with Murrumbidgee Irrigation (MI) and other relevant agencies to manage the impacts on the drainage system in and around Griffith’s LGA.

Griffith Mayor, Doug Curran said Council was liaising with MI to achieve a controlled release from Barren Box Swamp to allow more water to get through Main Drain J and Mirrool Creek in the hopes it will reduce the current impacts of the water still going through the system.

He said that understood it was a stressful time for people, but wanted to assure residents that protocols were in place to manage water flows.

“Council is working with all relevant agencies and initiating these protocols as required,” Mayor Curran said.

“The heavy rainfall we have experienced has not been as severe in the upper catchment of the Mirrool Creek system.

“This has helped Council and agencies to better manage the stormwater flows through the system.”

Relevant agencies have been meeting on a regular basis to monitor the situation and manage the flow of water.

NSW SES directed MI to undertake a controlled breach of the Barren Box infrastructure on Friday, October 28 to direct flows down through a supplementary outfall channel across Bringagee Road into the lower western Floodplain Catchment.

Mayor Curran said the controlled breach would allow excess water within the Griffith LGA drainage network to more freely drain to the west, assisting in lowering the main drainage system and providing further relief to Hanwood and other affected drainage networks.

“The agencies are on notice to quickly enact protocols if there is more rainfall than predicted in our catchment,” Mayor Curran said.

Residents are urged to continue to let Council know about any concerns they may have in a respectful manner so that staff can help as soon as possible.

• Topics:

• Floods
• Local Council