All councillors supported a motion at last week’s planning meeting to clarify drainage projects and available funding that would alleviate flooding in South Golden Beach, west of Capricornia Canal.
Councillor Duncan Dey’s report also asks for staff to ‘investigate the sub-catchment of Marshalls Creek that drains through South Golden Beach west side into Capricornia Canal, to determine capacities of its sub-surface and overland drainage networks, especially in the downstream area (SGB).’
A flood pump system, similar to the one serving the east side, will also be investigated.
Cr Dey told the meeting the motion was a result of meeting with affected residents.
A staff member also told the meeting that Council has applied for a $250,000 grant from the Department of Planning and Environment (DPE) to undertake a Shire-wide detailed overland flowpath assessment. If successful, they said the assessment would identify problem drainage areas and possibly lead to the prioritisation of drainage network capital upgrades.
The staff member added that they were informed by DPIE there is now a special team who are assessing over 1,000 applications and they are trying to fast-track grant applications from councils.
Cr Dey’s motion also asks staff to ‘inspect the floodgates in South Golden Beach, and carry out maintenance’, as well as, ‘consider in conjunction with the SES, appointing a local warden to inspect those floodgates when flood warnings are issued’.
Staff have also been asked to address a ‘persistent sewer pump failure’ at the pump station near Elizabeth Street and set up communication with neighbours’.
