TWO Capels Crossing property owners are calling on water authorities to do more to protect farms from floodwaters.
Rhonda Edwards and her husband Tim’s property was isolated for six weeks at the height of the 2022 floods, losing 140 sheep and more than $500,000 in crops.
“No one cared,” Ms Edwards said.
She said many farming families were doing it tough and while authorities worked tirelessly to protect towns, very little concern was given to people living rurally, with many farmers still trying to recoup losses from the 2022 floods.
“It causes so much stress,” Ms Edwards said.
“A lot of people are doing it tough and many have had to refinance just to survive.”
“They say in farming you get one good year in seven – well we’ve had three bad years in a row now.”
The couple moved to the district from the Wimmera two-and-a-half years ago.
Their farm has had more than 250mm of rain in two months, impacting their harvest and resulting in further financial hardship.
“We will have significant losses yet again,” Ms Edwards said.
Grateful for the support they have received from Mallee Family Care, Ms Edwards said they were working hard to recover their losses and would continue to move forward.
Again surrounded by puddles, Ms Edwards said farmers were equipped to deal with Mother Nature but the release of further water from storage facilities posed a significant threat to the farming community.
Goulburn-Murray Water increases its daily flows from Ghow (Kow) Swamp to Box Creek from 1000 megalitres a day to 1500ML a day.
GMW said releases were increased to mitigate flooding by creating room in the swamp for further inflows, with landowners between there and Box Creek advised to move machinery and cattle to higher ground and ensure any privately owned levees were of an adequate standard.
“Flows will likely continue at a heightened rate for a few days before gradually decreasing,” GMW said.
Mr Edwards said it was time GMW started being proactive and looking towards the future.
He said water fees should have been abolished for everyone impacted by the 2022 floods.
“The biggest problem is there’s no planning for the future,” Mr Edwards said.
“GMW need better management of their storages. They need to build a flood mitigation dam and have better risk management procedures in place. It’s time they became accountable, otherwise this will keep happening.”
