Latest news with #MidCoastCouncil
ABC News
7 days ago
- Climate
- ABC News
Wingham still relying on temporary water solution after Mid North Coast floods
In the wake of record-breaking floods on the New South Wales Mid North Coast, a community is still relying on a vulnerable temporary water supply after a major pipeline was destroyed at the height of the disaster. The force of the floodwater in late May tore through the pipeline that supplies water to Wingham, connecting its reservoirs with the region's Bootawa water supply dam near Taree. MidCoast Council director of infrastructure and engineering services Rob Scott said the pipe broke where it crossed the deepest part of the Manning River. "Some of that riverbank lost 20 metres or more of earth. That left one of our water mains almost completely unsupported on that southern side," he said. Mr Scott said the council had created a temporary solution, using an alternative pipeline to pump water from a reservoir near Taree to Wingham's reservoir. He said a permanent fix was urgently needed because there was no other backup system. He said if the backup pipeline broke the water supply to residents in Wingham, Taree and towns to the north, including Harrington and Coopernook, would be "significantly impacted" due to their connected system of reservoirs. "We don't know how long it would take to repair … and from then on, whatever is left in the reservoirs is all that we would have," Mr Scott said. "Within a day the high areas would start to have low water pressure … by the end of the second and third days some people would be without water, and that would progressively spread as the reservoirs depleted. "For example … Wingham's reservoir has about 10 megalitres at any point in time, and the daily use is 2 megalitres." Mr Scott said it took days for council crews to secure the temporary solution and in the meantime, emergency measures were taken to support residents. "During that time we used water carting and water bottles being delivered … water was also carted to Wingham Hospital," he said. Wingham resident Colleen Williams said her water was cut off for four days. "There were access points where we could drive into town … and collect bottled water," she said. "There were a few times where we did have to go to the Tigers [Rugby League Club] and boil the water for basin baths." The MidCoast Council has resolved to spend $4.1 million to urgently replace the damaged section of pipeline. Councillors supported a recommendation to fast-track the project, with the goal of completing it in six months. Mr Scott said the new infrastructure would be more secure during floods. "The existing pipeline was built in the 1960s and trenched into the bottom of the Manning River," he said. "New technology means we can literally drill a hole through the rock below the riverbed … by doing that we can avoid the risk of the pipeline being damaged by flood debris or impacted by riverbank erosion. Engineers Australia College of Environmental Engineering chair Kala Senathirajah said there was a considerable amount of aging water infrastructure across the country. "A lot the assets have been put in post World War II and are now quite old," she said. "It's getting to a stage where there needs to be a lot of assets renewed or replaced at the same time and due to funding and resource constraints, we will need to stagger that. "When we have floods or other natural disasters, they [the aging water infrastructure] are more vulnerable … to the situation that has happened at Wingham." Mr Scott said other councils with aging water infrastructure should be aware of the possible issues. "There's been several similar cases to ours over the years, where [pipe] river crossings have been lost during flood events, and then the council or water authority is faced with the expensive prospect of having to rush a project through to replace it," he said. "The problem is it's also high cost, so it's whether you can really balance risk with costs."
The Advertiser
31-05-2025
- General
- The Advertiser
Maitland, Gloucester and MidCoast earmarked for war memorial funding in wake of floods
The Gloucester RSL Sub Branch in the Upper Hunter has been given $10,000 in state funding for the preservation of the community's memorial clock owner, while an equal figure was awarded to the MidCoast Council for similar works on the Wingham memorial town hall to fix devastating flood damage. The funding, released by a statement from Veteran Minister David Harris on Saturday, May 31, was part of almost $135,000 in state funding to be put towards memorial upkeep across NSW. Mr Harris said the state had extended time for communities to complete grant agreements given the recent widespread flooding across the Hunter and Mid-North Coast. The Wingham town hall was opened in April 1924 and was first dedicated to those who served in the First World War. It now includes plaques honouring those who served in the Second World War, Korea and Vietnam. The memorial's foundation stone was laid by Major General Sir Charles Rosenthal KCMG, who served on the frontline at Gallipoli and on the Western Front. All tolled, 14 sub-branches, councils and other veterans organisations were earmarked for a portion of the funding, from a total pool of some 31 applications, in the second round of the annual allotment of the Community War Memorials Fund. Among them, Maitland City Council similarly won a $10,000 slice of the pie for works to the East Greta Soldiers Memorial, and the Tomaree Museum Association was slated for $635 for maintenance to the HMAS Assault Memorial at Port Stephens. Mr Harris said the funding was a reflection of communities "proud of their military history, and local war memorials", describing them as a "vital part of our culture". "This funding will be used to undertake important conservation work so our local war memorials can continue to honour our veterans who have served our community," he said. The Gloucester RSL Sub Branch in the Upper Hunter has been given $10,000 in state funding for the preservation of the community's memorial clock owner, while an equal figure was awarded to the MidCoast Council for similar works on the Wingham memorial town hall to fix devastating flood damage. The funding, released by a statement from Veteran Minister David Harris on Saturday, May 31, was part of almost $135,000 in state funding to be put towards memorial upkeep across NSW. Mr Harris said the state had extended time for communities to complete grant agreements given the recent widespread flooding across the Hunter and Mid-North Coast. The Wingham town hall was opened in April 1924 and was first dedicated to those who served in the First World War. It now includes plaques honouring those who served in the Second World War, Korea and Vietnam. The memorial's foundation stone was laid by Major General Sir Charles Rosenthal KCMG, who served on the frontline at Gallipoli and on the Western Front. All tolled, 14 sub-branches, councils and other veterans organisations were earmarked for a portion of the funding, from a total pool of some 31 applications, in the second round of the annual allotment of the Community War Memorials Fund. Among them, Maitland City Council similarly won a $10,000 slice of the pie for works to the East Greta Soldiers Memorial, and the Tomaree Museum Association was slated for $635 for maintenance to the HMAS Assault Memorial at Port Stephens. Mr Harris said the funding was a reflection of communities "proud of their military history, and local war memorials", describing them as a "vital part of our culture". "This funding will be used to undertake important conservation work so our local war memorials can continue to honour our veterans who have served our community," he said. The Gloucester RSL Sub Branch in the Upper Hunter has been given $10,000 in state funding for the preservation of the community's memorial clock owner, while an equal figure was awarded to the MidCoast Council for similar works on the Wingham memorial town hall to fix devastating flood damage. The funding, released by a statement from Veteran Minister David Harris on Saturday, May 31, was part of almost $135,000 in state funding to be put towards memorial upkeep across NSW. Mr Harris said the state had extended time for communities to complete grant agreements given the recent widespread flooding across the Hunter and Mid-North Coast. The Wingham town hall was opened in April 1924 and was first dedicated to those who served in the First World War. It now includes plaques honouring those who served in the Second World War, Korea and Vietnam. The memorial's foundation stone was laid by Major General Sir Charles Rosenthal KCMG, who served on the frontline at Gallipoli and on the Western Front. All tolled, 14 sub-branches, councils and other veterans organisations were earmarked for a portion of the funding, from a total pool of some 31 applications, in the second round of the annual allotment of the Community War Memorials Fund. Among them, Maitland City Council similarly won a $10,000 slice of the pie for works to the East Greta Soldiers Memorial, and the Tomaree Museum Association was slated for $635 for maintenance to the HMAS Assault Memorial at Port Stephens. Mr Harris said the funding was a reflection of communities "proud of their military history, and local war memorials", describing them as a "vital part of our culture". "This funding will be used to undertake important conservation work so our local war memorials can continue to honour our veterans who have served our community," he said. The Gloucester RSL Sub Branch in the Upper Hunter has been given $10,000 in state funding for the preservation of the community's memorial clock owner, while an equal figure was awarded to the MidCoast Council for similar works on the Wingham memorial town hall to fix devastating flood damage. The funding, released by a statement from Veteran Minister David Harris on Saturday, May 31, was part of almost $135,000 in state funding to be put towards memorial upkeep across NSW. Mr Harris said the state had extended time for communities to complete grant agreements given the recent widespread flooding across the Hunter and Mid-North Coast. The Wingham town hall was opened in April 1924 and was first dedicated to those who served in the First World War. It now includes plaques honouring those who served in the Second World War, Korea and Vietnam. The memorial's foundation stone was laid by Major General Sir Charles Rosenthal KCMG, who served on the frontline at Gallipoli and on the Western Front. All tolled, 14 sub-branches, councils and other veterans organisations were earmarked for a portion of the funding, from a total pool of some 31 applications, in the second round of the annual allotment of the Community War Memorials Fund. Among them, Maitland City Council similarly won a $10,000 slice of the pie for works to the East Greta Soldiers Memorial, and the Tomaree Museum Association was slated for $635 for maintenance to the HMAS Assault Memorial at Port Stephens. Mr Harris said the funding was a reflection of communities "proud of their military history, and local war memorials", describing them as a "vital part of our culture". "This funding will be used to undertake important conservation work so our local war memorials can continue to honour our veterans who have served our community," he said.
News.com.au
28-05-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Pacific Highway flood closure leaves driver stranded for hours in NSW
Record-breaking floods have submerged the Pacific Highway near Taree for nearly five days, leaving one motorist stranded and unable to get back home for 26 hours. A 20km stretch between Coopernook and South Taree was closed, forcing motorists like Michael Atkinson to undertake arduous detours last Wednesday. Mr Atkinson's journey from Maclean to Nelson Bay extended to 26 hours due to the closures. 'I found out there was a road closure when I got within 10km of Taree,' he told the ABC. 'It took me 26 hours to get home, driving north, camping in Glen Innes, and then driving all the way inland and up through the Hunter Valley.' These severe disruptions highlighted the region's vulnerability to extreme weather events. The MidCoast Council estimates the financial impact of the highway closure at approximately $29m, taking into account diverted traffic and disrupted supply routes. But motorists said the confusion and a lack of clear, accurate information about closures and detours made the highway shutdown even more disruptive. The Pacific Highway is a major supply route for the entire north coast of NSW, and Transport for NSW estimates that more than 26,000 vehicles use the Pacific Highway near Taree everyday with 80 per cent of them being cars and 20 per cent being trucks. Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison said on Monday people needed to be mindful when driving in challenging conditions. 'LiveTraffic doesn't tell anyone to go anywhere,' Ms Aitchison said. 'Everyone's doing their best but it's a difficult situation because no matter what somebody saw 10 minutes before they went in to update LiveTraffic, it can change in an instant. 'It's a challenging situation and I'll be looking at what we can do better next time.' The recent floods have also resulted in significant human and economic tolls across the state. At least four fatalities have been reported, with nearly 50,000 residents isolated due to inundated roads. Emergency services have conducted over 675 rescues, and the Insurance Council of Australia has received more than 1,600 claims related to flood damage.
RNZ News
27-05-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
'26 hours to get home': Floods close a 20-kilometre stretch of NSW Pacific Highway
By Toby Hemmings and Claire Simmonds , ABC Floodwaters inundating the northern NSW city of Lismore. Photo: AFP PHOTO / NEW SOUTH WALES STATE EMERGENCY SERVICE Record-breaking flooding created unprecedented traffic chaos on New South Wales roads last week, costing tens of millions of dollars and casting a cloud of uncertainty over the road's flood resilience . Most notably, flooding closed a 20-kilometre stretch of the Pacific Highway dual carriageway between Coopernook and South Taree for almost five days. Michael Atkinson was one of the motorists frustrated on Wednesday when he was returning home from Maclean in the Clarence Valley. The trip, which normally takes about five hours, took five times that long. "I found out there was a road closure when I got within 10 kilometres of Taree," he said. "I live in Nelson Bay. It took me 26 hours to get home, driving north, camping in Glen Innes, and then driving all the way inland and up through the Hunter Valley." According to estimates from MidCoast Council, the financial cost of the Pacific Highway closure was about $29 million, due to diverted traffic and supply routes. But drivers have told the ABC the impact of the road closures was exacerbated by incorrect and unclear information about what roads were closed and what alternative routes were available. Stretch of Pacific Highway flooded for five days. Photo: Supplied/ABC News After nearly 30 years of dual carriageway upgrades, the Pacific Highway between Hexham and the Queensland border acts as a major supply route for the entire north coast of NSW. More than 26,000 vehicles use the Pacific Highway near Taree every day, according to Transport for NSW data, with 80 percent cars and 20 percent trucks. A 2020 floodplain risk management study, commissioned by MidCoast Council, estimated the cost of closing the Pacific Highway near Taree for just a day would be up to $5.79 million. The study also looked at raising the section of Pacific Highway that crossed the Manning River as an option to improve flood resilience. It estimated the upgrade would cost about $134 million, and was not financially viable. Executive director of operations management with Transport for NSW Craig Mason said flood resiliency was something the organisation would look at across the network. "Stopping the impacts in the future will require a lot of work and expense," Mason said. "But we're always looking at how we can make the network more resilient and diversions more efficient. "With the water levels, particularly through Taree being the highest ever, it's quite difficult to try and build networks that can avoid floods in any circumstance." Multiple drivers told the ABC issues with the Pacific Highway closure were exacerbated by inconsistent information from navigation apps and LiveTraffic, Transport for NSW's real-time information provider. LiveTraffic is fed real-time information by road crews dispatched from the Transport Management Centre and emergency services. A forward command centre was set up in Newcastle during the flood emergency. But navigation apps were often unclear about which routes were open or closed, leading to people becoming stranded in flood-affected areas. Over two days, about 20 people arrived in the remote valley community of Killabakh, north-west of Taree, after misdirection by navigational aids. Killabakh Rural Fire Service senior deputy captain Greg Hale and his team, on stand-by for flood rescues, met the new refugees to the valley. "Most of them consulted LiveTraffic, which is what you're told to do in emergency situations," Hale said. "And they were then advised they could come over Comboyne Mountain into Killabakh to get further south in their travels, but Killabakh itself was flooded in. "The information that was available to them about the way they could get to their destination sent them over the mountain and was certainly inappropriate." The Rural Fire Service crew enacted the local emergency management plan and opened the community hall as a shelter for those stranded for the night, which quickly turned into two nights. Jenny Aitchison speaking in Kempsey about the road network. Photo: Supplied/ABC News Speaking in Kempsey on Monday, Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison said people needed to be mindful when driving in such challenging conditions. "LiveTraffic doesn't tell anyone to go anywhere," Aitchison said. "Everyone's doing their best but it's a difficult situation because no matter what somebody saw 10 minutes before they went in to update LiveTraffic, it can change in an instant. "It's a challenging situation and I'll be looking at what we can do better next time." - ABC
ABC News
27-05-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Record-breaking floods that closed Pacific Highway test road resilience
Record-breaking flooding created unprecedented traffic chaos on New South Wales roads last week, costing tens of millions of dollars and casting a cloud of uncertainty over the road's flood resilience. Most notably, flooding closed a 20-kilometre stretch of the Pacific Highway dual carriageway between Coopernook and South Taree for almost five days. Michael Atkinson was one of the motorists frustrated on Wednesday when he was returning home from Maclean in the Clarence Valley. The trip, which normally takes about five hours, took five times that long. "I found out there was a road closure when I got within 10 kilometres of Taree," he said. According to estimates from MidCoast Council, the financial cost of the Pacific Highway closure was about $29 million, due to diverted traffic and supply routes. But drivers have told the ABC the impact of the road closures was exacerbated by incorrect and unclear information about what roads were closed and what alternative routes were available. After nearly 30 years of dual carriageway upgrades, the Pacific Highway between Hexham and the Queensland border acts as a major supply route for the entire north coast of NSW. More than 26,000 vehicles use the Pacific Highway near Taree every day, according to Transport for NSW data, with 80 per cent cars and 20 per cent trucks. A 2020 floodplain risk management study, commissioned by MidCoast Council, estimated the cost of closing the Pacific Highway near Taree for just a day would be up to $5.79 million. The study also looked at raising the section of Pacific Highway that crossed the Manning River as an option to improve flood resilience. It estimated the upgrade would cost about $134 million, and was not financially viable. Craig Mason, the executive director of operations management with Transport for NSW, said flood resiliency was something the organisation would look at across the network. "Stopping the impacts in the future will require a lot of work and expense," Mr Mason said. "But we're always looking at how we can make the network more resilient and diversions more efficient. Multiple drivers told the ABC issues with the Pacific Highway closure were exacerbated by inconsistent information from navigation apps and LiveTraffic, Transport for NSW's real-time information provider. LiveTraffic is fed real-time information by road crews dispatched from the Transport Management Centre and emergency services. A forward command centre was set up in Newcastle during the flood emergency. But navigation apps were often unclear about which routes were open or closed, leading to people becoming stranded in flood-affected areas. Over two days, about 20 people arrived in the remote valley community of Killabakh, north-west of Taree, after misdirection by navigational aids. Killabakh Rural Fire Service senior deputy captain Greg Hale and his team, on stand-by for flood rescues, met the new refugees to the valley. "Most of them consulted LiveTraffic, which is what you're told to do in emergency situations," Mr Hale said. "And they were then advised they could come over Comboyne Mountain into Killabakh to get further south in their travels, but Killabakh itself was flooded in. The Rural Fire Service crew enacted the local emergency management plan and opened the community hall as a shelter for those stranded for the night, which quickly turned into two nights. Speaking in Kempsey on Monday, Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison said people needed to be mindful when driving in such challenging conditions. "LiveTraffic doesn't tell anyone to go anywhere," Ms Aitchison said. "Everyone's doing their best but it's a difficult situation because no matter what somebody saw 10 minutes before they went in to update LiveTraffic, it can change in an instant. "It's a challenging situation and I'll be looking at what we can do better next time."
