Property assessments underway as clean-up continues
Published on 18 October 2022
Site visits are now being undertaken on all flood ravaged properties to better understand the impacts on individual properties and what is needed to make them habitable again.
Council’s building and environmental health teams are undertaking the assessments accompanied by the Australian Red Cross and Victorian Council of Churches. Residents are reminded to ask for identification when people request to enter your property.
More than 200 homes are known to have suffered water damage when the Maribyrnong River broke its banks. These assessments will confirm the exact number of properties affected.
Tonnes of silt and mud have now also been cleared from streets inundated by floodwaters after the River peaked at 4.18 metres – more than a metre above the major flood level of 2.90 metres. But there are still some streets where there is more work to do.
Council has engaged consultants to undertake precautionary soil and water testing along 7km of the riverbank. Around 150 samples will be taken in public spaces such as parks and sports fields, but at this point there are no known contamination issues.
The stormwater and sewage systems have been assessed and work will now begin clearing pits and pipes. This is a two-fold process that involves first vacuuming out loose debris before using high pressure jets to clear away any residue.
The hard waste collection is also underway in earnest, with trucks travelling through the flood ravaged streets collecting a significant volume of materials for sorting and appropriate disposal. It is expected there will be more than one sweep of the area to gather all the water damaged items.
Neighbouring councils, including Wyndham, Brimbank, Darebin and Port Philip, have generously provided equipment to support street cleaning and hard waste collection specifically.
While Mayor, Cr Anthony Tran understands residents would like to see the clean-up moving faster, he wants to reassure the community that we are moving as quickly as we can.
“We are acutely aware our residents are relying on us for support and we are throwing every available resource available into the field to complete the clean-up as quickly and efficiently as possible,” Cr Tran said.
“It requires not just manpower but also machinery and equipment beyond our normal arsenal and we are very grateful to our neighbours who have so generously provided support with this. Still, we are faced with a monumental clean-up that is going to take time. Residents can be assured, we will not stop until it is done.”
The relief centre at the Maribyrnong Community Centre also remains open between 9am and 5pm to provide ongoing assistance to residents.
Flood impacted residents can also email floodrecovery@maribyrnong.vic.gov.au with specific requests or concerns. This inbox is monitored weekdays 9am-5pm.
Maribyrnong News
Stay up-to-date with the latest news by subscribing to our eNews.