A council meeting heard details of the “stress and expense” the issue causes residents. Photos: Councillor Ross Macdonald Facebook.
An exposed stormwater channel in Bungendore that has flooded residents’ backyards and nearby businesses for years is finally being upgraded.
Homes in Maslin Place sit near an open stormwater drain and their backyards often flood following rain.
During the closed portion of a recent meeting, Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council (QPRC) awarded a more than $3.3 million contract to Dale & Hitchcock, a civil engineering and landscaping company.
Dale & Hitchcock will convert the existing open channel into an underground stormwater drainage system.
Mayor Kenrick Winchester said the current arrangement had been approved by the former Palerang Council.
“[It is a] very poor set-up where these people, when it rains, literally have floodwaters coming through the backyard.
“It’s very unsafe – a horrible situation. I have no idea how it got approved when it did, way back when.
“I’ve never seen anything like it before or since, thank God.”
In the meeting’s public forum, a Bungendore resident urged councillors to push ahead with the project.
“My question is: if not now, then when? The risk of delaying this project is a financial and community safety issue,” the resident said.
“Council has already recognised that the existing open stormwater drain arrangement is no longer appropriate for the area. Time and time again council has expressed support for this work … [but] us, as residents, continue to live beside an exposed stormwater channel.”
She said Maslin Place residents had long been left with the “stress and expense” of maintaining the channel, while the cost of the project only climbed higher.
“This is what happens when critical infrastructure is deferred year after year, because there is no credible scenario when this becomes cheaper by waiting longer.”
But Mayor Winchester said the council needed to put aside money for the project before any work could start.
“We’re talking millions of dollars to fix it,” the mayor said.
“Council had to come up with a way of funding this … A couple of years ago, we started putting a certain amount away per year towards the rectification.”
A flooded carpark is a common sight during rain, says one of the town’s vets. Photo: Bungendore Veterinary Surgery Facebook.
For Bungendore Veterinary Surgery’s Doctor Michael McCormack, dealing with the floods was a semi-regular part of life.
The clinic is located a short distance from Maslin Place.
He and his staff have had to ask clients to wear gumboots during their visits or park closer to their access ramp.
They also installed a pump to help with drainage on their property.
“It’s not an everyday occurrence by any means, but when it rains, it can have an impact,” he said.
Dr McCormack said that while they appreciated the funding, there could be further floods.
Mayor Winchester said the awarding of the contract meant the “nightmare” of having their backyards flood would soon be over.
“We would have loved to have done it in 2022 – I wish it were fixed back in 2015, or that it had never been an issue in the first place.
“But we’re at a point now where we’ve been able to find funds to get it done.”
A QPRC spokesperson said it was hoped the works would break ground within the next eight weeks.
“Along with the contractor, we will be meeting with residents in the next fortnight to further discuss the work program,” they told Region.
“The start date is not yet finalised, as this is dependent on delivery timeframes for the stormwater pipes.”
During the works, the contractor will remove (and store) property fencing, construct the pipes and pits, import clean fill material, establish grass and reinstall fences.
While the contract covers a 34-week period, the spokesperson said QPRC is hopeful the works can be finished ahead of schedule, weather permitting.
