The loch helps provide protection from minor to moderate flooding for downstream landowners, but it is opened during larger events to allow flood flows to follow their natural course.
Many people living on the floodplain below the loch, which is located on the Goulburn River near Bunbartha, have claimed the impact of the floods was bigger and more widespread because of mismanagement in the lead-up and during last October’s floods.
The Loch Garry Reference Committee, appointed in January and made up of local and state government agency and community representatives, held its second meeting on Monday, March 20.
The committee received presentations on the condition of the regulator as an asset, the impacts of floods on the Goulburn River system, and the effect Loch Garry has on the broader system.
Committee member Mathew Price said the meeting had been insightful.
“The knowledge sharing was really useful, and it was good to hear some different perspectives about the relationship between the loch and the broader system,” he said.
“There are a lot of different factors that influence how the loch functions, and understanding these factors will help us arrive at a proposal that benefits everyone.”
The next meeting will involve a trip to the regulator, giving committee members a chance to see the repairs that need to be undertaken.
A summary of the meeting is available at https://yoursay.gmwater.com.au/loch-garry-reference-committee
