Roma Buddery is sick and tired of council’s lack of action in regards to flooding in South Cessnock.
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The South Cessnock property owner has a long timeline of communication regarding the problem dating back to 2008.
After her rental property flooded in 2007, Ms. Buddery said she received letters confirming council had been working on a flood study, but that she is yet to see a completed report or any work to prevent future flooding.
“It’s a joke, it really is,” she said.
After The Advertiser last spoke with Ms. Buddery in February, council sent a brochure to residents with a time frame of the Black Creek Floodplain Risk Management Study and Plan.
The brochure stated that a draft study and plan would be considered by the Floodplain Action Committee and Council in March/April 2015 and the study plan and workshop would go on public exhibition in April.
However, despite contacting the council on numerous occasions prior to the recent floods, Ms. Buddery said she received no reply in regards to a date or location for the workshop and exhibition.
She said council have since said they are very busy after the floods, but Ms. Buddery wants to know why the schedule printed in council’s brochure wasn’t met prior to the April flood.
“What’s the point of sending out brochures if you can’t meet the schedules printed in them?” she asked.
“The council were behind their schedule before the flood.”
Council are now planning to have the report placed on exhibition in June/July before commissioning an independent report and applying for funding.
But as funding applications have already closed for the 2015/16 year, the earliest that council can apply for funding is for the 2016/2017 financial year.
Ms. Buddery believes this delay since 2007 is unacceptable, and has lodged complaints with various government bodies as she is sick of seeing no action.
“Council’s actions just aren’t good enough,” she said.
“How many more times will we have to see people in their 70s and 80s dragging waterlogged furniture from their homes?”
She also raised concern over that fact that flood insurance cover prices are now prohibitive.
“Things just can’t go on like this.”
Ms. Buddery also believes that out of the five community representatives in the Floodplain Management Committee, none are from South Cessnock.
Council did not confirm or deny where the community representatives live, but that they are “from various locations across the LGA”.
The committee also comprises councillors, council officers and representatives of the SES, Local Land Services and the Office of Environment and Heritage.
Ms. Buddery is encouraging residents to tell the council what they think about the issue, and is also welcoming people to get in contact with her to try and guarantee prompt action.
“People think it’s no good contacting the council,” she said.
“But now we have a new more proactive management, they have to be made aware that this issue should probably be their number one priority.
“It is time that council was kept accountable.”
To contact Ms. Buddery, call Sage Swinton at The Advertiser on 4990 1244 or email sage.swinton@fairfaxmedia.com.au.
