Flood fears put to rest with tour

With thousands of Busselton residents living only metres above sea level, a lot of work goes into protecting the city from flooding. More than 40 community members recently had a firsthand look at the complexity of the drainage network on a bus tour of the Geographe catchment. Organised in response to community concerns over flood risk during winter, the tour included presentations from the Water Corporation and the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation. The tour coordinated by GeoCatch, Water Corporation and DWER explained to attendees how the flood protection system works, the role of flood modelling and response measures. It visited key drainage infrastructure sites including the Sabina River detention basin, Vasse diversion drain culverts, Vasse surge barrier and the sand bar at Wonnerup. GeoCatch chair Dr Felicity Bradshaw said it was important for community members to witness how the drainage puzzle pieces fit together. “The information presented today reminds us that a lot of very dedicated people are working to keep Busselton safe from flooding,” she said. “Taking community members around the catchment puts it all into perspective. “With the recent rains, we were able to see how the Vasse River culverts and surge barrier work to protect Busselton.” Among those attending from the community was Busselton resident Pip Newman, who wanted to see how the constructed and natural waterways worked together. “There is so much work going on behind the scenes that you don’t even know about to stop Busselton from flooding,” she said. “The knowledge of all the different people working on the flood protection system is amazing.” Deb and Milo Kadamus, who recently moved to Busselton, also joined the tour. “It was the best thing I’ve done since moving to Busselton,” Ms Kadamus said. “The management of such a complex environment, not just floods but wetlands, fish and healthy rivers and bay is amazing. “The cooperation of all the groups and agencies is so inspiring. Well done everyone, we really appreciated this event.”