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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2008-11-12 Daily Xml
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MATTERS OF INTEREST

NORTH PARA FLOOD MITIGATION DAM

The Hon. J.M. GAZZOLA (15:36): The current drought sometimes blinds us to the reality of flooding in Adelaide and the Adelaide Plains area. This complacency was given a jolt in the sudden floods of November 2005, especially in the Gawler River Plains area. Despite this complacency, we need to be reminded that the Gawler River has been subject to major flooding, on average every 10 years, over the past 150 years. Major flooding has occurred as a result of three floods in 1992 and, most recently, in 2005.

Newspaper and media reports record that, prior to the 2005 flood, 43 millimetres of rain fell overnight in Adelaide alone, with an estimated 50 to 100 millimetres in the South Para reservoir catchment area. This caused significant flooding in the Gawler and Virginia areas, Old Noarlunga and Port Noarlunga, with other SES resources deployed at the high flood risk areas of Waterfall Gully and Norwood.

The economic cost of the flooding in the Gawler River/Virginia area saw $40 million in crop losses alone with an additional $25 million of farm infrastructure lost. The state government responded with funding of $2 million to affected farms, businesses and households through the Virginia Horticultural Centre, PIRSA and the Department for Families and Communities. Given that the economic value of the Adelaide Plains is now estimated at around $200 million by the year 2030 (through the 2030 Blueprint), it was evident that serious flood mitigation action was required, especially in light of a possible 100-year flood and an estimated possible loss of property, crops, services and restoration to the tune of $209 million.

The plight of the River Murray, the reality of the current drought (the worst in 100 years) and other consequences of global warming remind us of our fragile dependence on nature and the need for planning. In response to future flood threats in the Gawler River/Virginia areas, collaboration between the three tiers of government (state, federal and local) saw the planning and construction of the Bruce Eastick North Para Flood Mitigation Dam on the North Para River. What began under the instigation of the Gawler River Flood Plain Management Authority in 2002 under the board chair, Dr Bruce Eastick—and comprising members of six constituent councils (Adelaide Hills Council, Barossa Council, Town of Gawler, Light Regional Council, District Council of Mallala and the City of Playford) with additional and substantial funding from state and federal governments—saw the construction of the $16 million dam begin in September 2006 and completed in December 2007.

The project consists of three main components: construction of the flood control dam and spillways on the North Para River near Turretfield; modifications to the spillway on the South Para reservoir; and improvements to and restoration of banks and levies. Located four kilometres north-east of Gawler, the dam and spillways have created a flood control feature 30 metres in height and 225 metres in width.

Although this is the largest dam that can be constructed in this part of the North Para River, parts of the lower Gawler River are still prone to the effects of a one in 100-year flood. Further floodplain mapping has been undertaken to assess the extent of future work required. Nevertheless, the Bruce Eastick Dam provides significant protection from peak environmental events.

As an aside, earthworks undertaken during the construction of the foundation for the dam wall revealed some fascinating insights into past vegetation. Buried deep in the riverbed at the dam site were numerous tree logs of up five metres in length and 1½ metres in width. Carbon dating on one of the river red gum logs has put its age at around 5,500 years, growing between 3710 and 3380 BC. Such a suitable and long-lasting monument has been erected as a cairn at the entrance to the dam.

I was pleased, along with Tony Piccolo MP, Nick Champion MP, the Hon. John Dawkins MLC and former state and federal MP Dr Bruce Eastick and other guests, to attend the official opening of the Bruce Eastick Dam by the state infrastructure minister, Patrick Conlon. In closing, I acknowledge the Kaurna welcoming of the dam by Katrina Power and her mother Alma.

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