The federal government is making a substantial contribution to the Creswick Flood Mitigation project, in an effort to prevent flood disasters from striking the town again.
Ballarat MP Catherine King yesterday made the $325,000 announcement, which will go towards increasing waterway capacity and the construction of a levee system.
“This is a significant announcement for the Creswick community and will help protect them against future flood events greater than the January 2011 floods,” Ms King said.
“We saw three separate floods within a six-month period as a result of heavy rainfall in the upstream catchment, and it was the foresight of the Hepburn council to apply for funding under this scheme that has led to this announcement.
“This is significant funding that will increase community capacity in the face of natural disasters, and while we’ll never be able to eradicate disasters, we can always ensure we are better prepared for when they strike.”
In the January 2011 floods, nearly 100 townships in 27 municipalities across the state were affected.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard visited Creswick to see how the town had been affected that year.
But that was not the only time Creswick was hit by powerful rains and floods – the town was damaged in a similar disaster in September 2010.
Ms King said the partnership between all levels of government and the community was helping to build a culture of shared responsibility for dealing with natural disasters.
The project has been a combined effort between state and federal governments, and the Hepburn Shire Council under the National Partnership Agreement for Natural Disaster Resilience.
“We must remain vigilant, and this funding is about building a stronger and safer community,” Ms King said.