$462,000 STORMWATER FLOOD MITIGATION PROJECT TO ALLEVIATE FLOOD RISK FOR HOMES IN WAGGA WAGGA
Around 30 properties in the Wiradjuri Estate at Wagga Wagga will be further protected from stormwater flooding through a project jointly funded by the Federal Government and Wagga Wagga City Council.
Riverina MP Michael McCormack said the Federal funding was provided through the $150 million Preparing Australia Communities Program – Local Stream, which was established to fund local projects to improve natural disaster resilience of communities.
“The Federal Government is contributing $231,000 towards this important project which will alleviate stormwater flooding for homes in the Wiradjuri Estate in Wagga Wagga,” Mr McCormack said.
“This is the first tranche of the Federal Government’s investment of $600 million over six years to build the nation’s resilience to natural disasters.”
Wagga Wagga City Council Project Manager Andrew Mason said the project was a recommendation form the Council’s Major Overland Flow Floodplain Risk Management Study and Plan.
“This project aims to reduce flooding in the Incarnie Crescent area and this will supplement existing drainage by putting in extra drainage lines to move water from the low-lying area into another floodgate to create space in the floodgate where the pumps are,” Mr Mason said.
“This is expected to significantly reduce the amount of in-street and over-footpath flooding and reduce the risk of over-floor flooding in an overland flow event.”
Mr Mason said he was hopeful the project would be completed by the end of the year.
The Preparing Australian Communities Program – Local stream is the first tranche of the Preparing Australia Program, an investment by the Australian Government of $600 million over six years to build the nation’s resilience to natural disasters.
“We know local communities are best placed to understand their unique needs and how they can best improve their resilience and reduce their level of risk to natural disasters that’s why this project has been assessed to be so important to residents in the Wiradjuri Estate,” Mr McCormack said.
The Wiradjuri Flood Mitigation project was one of 158 projects across the country that shared in $150 million dollars from the Commonwealth Government.
In delivering this program, the Australian Government is not only increasing disaster preparedness and resilience, but also reducing the cost in time and money of recovery following future disasters.
There are three streams of the Preparing Australia Program:
Preparing Australian Communities Program for projects of local significance (Communities Local program) – focused on public risk reduction.
Preparing Australian Communities Program for projects of National Significance – focused on public risk reduction.
Preparing Australian Homes Program – focused on private risk reduction.
For more information and a full list of projects funded under Round One of the Preparing Australian Communities Program – Local stream visit: https://recovery.gov.au/disaster-risk-reduction/preparing-australia-program