With an expected costing of $1.25 million, and $750,000 being allocated, the remaining $500,000 between those 116 payers is a heavy burden to bear.
In addition to that, we believe that Loch Garry has a high chance of failing again, not because of problems with the structure or banks, but due to the changed conditions and greatly increased volume of water that now reaches the lower Goulburn River.
When the Loch Garry agreement was made in 1925, the conditions were entirely different to today. As far back as the 1960s, complaints were being made by the Loch Garry landowners about upstream activities, which expedited the flow to the lower end of the Goulburn.
Originally there were outlets along the river on both sides, which took the pressure off Loch Garry. However, all outlets on the south side are now closed off.
Big floods usually over-topped and blew out the levees, but certain traditional failure points held during the 2022 flood, indicating they must have been topped up and strengthened.
So Loch Garry is now taking the full flow, and it was just not designed to take that volume of water — a worrying prospect for us farmers below Loch Garry.
It is also extremely unfair that we are expected to pay for flood protection, and Loch Garry maintenance and repairs, when it is being used as a safety valve for the entire Goulburn River, resulting in us being flooded the worst. The flood protection rates need to be abolished.
It is also important to note that even when the Loch Garry banks are fixed, lower Goulburn landowners are still at great risk, as the breaches in levee banks (outside Loch Garry) remain unrepaired and open. No-one claims any responsibility for these levees.
A group of landowners with representatives from both sides of the river have been active in pursuing funding, but to date have been unsuccessful. Surely this refusal of funding is very short-sighted of the government.
– Col and Gail Grinter, Kaarimba
