GUNNEDAH Shire Council is storming ahead with negotiations to acquire two parcels of land on Wandobah Road under plans to flood-proof 194 properties by widening Blackjack Creek.
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The $3.3 million flood mitigation project includes expanding and realigning 1.9 kilometres of the creek between Lincoln Street and the Oxley Highway.
The proposed works will see residential properties east of Wandobah Road are protected from a one-in-100-year event. It currently is only fit for a one-in-five-year flood event.
Council resolved at its last meeting to proceed with negotiations with property owners to try acquire portions of two Wandobah Road-fronting properties to facilitate the creek realignment and mitigation works.
Council’s planning and environmental services director Mike Silver explained the proposed works would create a riparian channel or corridor that would have the capacity to contain a one-in-100-year flood event.
“Residents in the Wandobah Road area will be the major beneficiaries when the flood mitigation works are completed,” Mr Silver said. “There may be some short term impact on habitat in the area but the adopted design will have major long term benefits in flood mitigation, environmental embellishment, establishing habitat corridors, passive recreation and cycleway connections for the Gunnedah community.”
The realignment would be about 120 metres wide with a channel floor width of about 40 metres. The channel will feature a vegetated riparian zone of between 30 and 40 metres on either side. Mr Silver stressed the project had also been approved by the Commonwealth Department of Environment and that to offset the removal of 37 preferred koala feed trees, 1200 trees and 3200 shrubs will be planted along the realigned creek.
Council is required to contribute up to one-third of the project’s cost, while the state government will provide the balance. Subject to the land acquisitions, council hopes to have construction started in early 2017.