Excavation work in Anthony Avenue to redirect stormwater has some residents very concerned for the safety of their properties. Credit: Leonie Cardillo
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Leonie Cardillo
Preliminary works currently being undertaken for a proposed residential development in Anthony Avenue, Tocumwal, are causing local residents extreme concern.
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Activity ramped up in the past two weeks, with the movement of tonnes of soil as a deep hole and trench were created to install concrete pipes.
Anthony Ave resident Barry Prideaux fears as pipes have been delivered to the site and digging has already begun, it may now be too late for a halt to the construction works in an area he said was previously allocated to green space.
According to Mr Prideaux, a new development between Anthony Ave and Deniliquin St is planned and redirection of stormwater from it to the catchment area already located on Anthony Ave has begun.
He said this area is already subject to flooding and frequently inundated with water, which makes it not suitable for the intended purpose.
“They’ve already started the process of changing the direction of the stormwater,” he said.
“There’s a big hole in what was supposed to be a parkland.
“There’s been a lot of soil moved.”
Mr Prideaux said he and his wife wife Cheryl have previously raised their concerns about the proposal to create a new development on the site with Berrigan Shire Council, but “those were totally ignored”.
He said Berrigan Shire Council did not inform him or other residents of plans for the area.
Instead, he found out from a neighbour who noticed work vehicles parked across the street.
Drainage works in Anthony Avenue have resulted in a large hole being dug to accommodate stormwater redirection. Credit: Leonie Cardillo
Photo by
Leonie Cardillo
“About three or four months ago, a truck and a car were parked opposite our house,” Mr Prideaux said.
“My next door neighbour went over to find out what they were doing there, spoke with the people, and then told us what they said.
“My wife and I went to the shire the next day and they confirmed what was going on.
“They said flooding only happened in our area ‘once in a while’ and it would be better after the work was done.
“We went back to the shire a couple of times, and after a while we got a response from the CEO saying they were going to review the situation.
“If that happened, it didn’t change the plans.”
Mr Prideaux said there is a catchment in the Anthony Ave area with a pump “that was meant to look after about 20 houses in the street”.
“Now, a new development has started in Deniliquin Street and they’re redirecting the water from there to here,” he said.
“They’re digging a hole twice as big as the current one and putting new pipes across from the new development into Anthony Avenue.
“Our concern is that it has been a bit of a floodplain already and the whole area is now a mess.”
Mr Prideaux said he is not alone in worrying about the potential impact the construction works and future residential development will have on Anthony Ave.
“Our daughter lives three doors down and has had water up to their garage,” he said.
“We’ve had water up to three to four feet deep, so this change in the direction of the water will make that worse.
“The existing drainage in the area is bad, and the shire is saying it will be better with this (drainage work). But it hasn’t been properly thought out.”
Large concrete pipes are in place to be installed in Anthony Avenue. Credit: Leonie Cardillo
Photo by
Leonie Cardillo
Berrigan Shire Council was contacted regarding Mr Prideaux’s comments.
In a statement released to the Southern Riverina News, it did not directly address the Anthony Avenue development but stated that council officers had worked with the local community on the stormwater issue as council understands there are “various stormwater issues we are facing in the area mentioned”.
“Council officers had a de-brief on various stormwater issues we have in the four townships,” the statement read.
“We have started to work with land owners to fix some of the immediate issues we have noticed – blocked drainage (lack of maintenance) or filling drainage easement while landscaping, etc.
“We have also identified mid/long term solutions which council officers will be working on to ensure identified drainage issues are addressed on priority.”
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