THE community has learnt many valuable lessons from the from the district’s worst flooding in more than 100 years.
This weekend marks five years since floodwaters began flowing downstream into the Gannawarra municipality, inundating 75 per cent of the shire by the end of January 2011.
The rising waters of the Avoca and Loddon rivers, as well as Pyramid Creek, and other tributaries inundated around 100 homes following the wettest January on record.
Spurred on one of the wettest starts to a year on record, residents united to save properties during the initial floods, and then rallied together during clean-up efforts.
Gannawarra Shire was one of the municipalities greatly affected by the 2011 floods, with 75 per cent of land area affected.
Resources were tested during the period, with evacuation centres and relief operations occurring throughout January.
Attention then turned to rebuilding efforts, as well as ways to prepare the community for future flood events.
“Since the 2011 floods, council has been approached by other councils and organisations, including international organisations, for advice and information about our flood response and recovery,” the shire’s director of infrastructure services, Geoff Rollinson said.
“As a result of the 2011 floods, council is well prepared for any future flood events. Our processes were tested and have been improved, while our communities have developed higher levels of resilience as a result of the flood event.”
