Jill and John Graham are among the Cleary St residents concerned about the Yallarah Estate development behind their property.
Residents of Cleary St in Echuca’s west say they have serious concerns about the Yallarah Estate development taking shape behind their homes.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
John and Jill Graham have watched the estate’s foundational earthwork grow higher and higher over the past few months, leading to a noticeable incline to their property’s rear fence line.
Their fear, shared with 18 other neighbours of Parkview Estate, is that the slope will lead to increased run-off from the next heavy rain or flooding event, inundating their properties with water.
“It just seems to be ridiculous, from a layperson’s point-of-view,” Mrs Graham said.
“They haven’t taken into account that they back on to another development that is two foot lower.”
John and Jill Graham pictured behind their property’s fence, demonstrating the scale of the incline.
The Grahams went to Campaspe Shire Council with their concerns months ago, after which officers were sent to inspect the site.
Mr Graham said he tried to speak with the officers when they visited, but found communication was difficult.
“They didn’t say anything. That’s the problem ― no answers,” he said.
“They all appreciate the problem we’ve got, but no-one seems to want to have suggestions of what to do.”
A trench has been dug behind their property since, but little to no contact has been received from the council on any formal outcomes.
The trench at the Cleary St property fence line, taken facing south on Friday, December 5.
Photo by
Ryan Bellingham
Director of sustainability Michael Sharp said the council had received communications in relation to residents’ concerns, and was working through them.
“Council encourages community members to contact us directly with any concerns they may have so that we can address them,” he said.
State Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh was contacted by the Grahams about the drainage issues, and visited the site recently in response.
After viewing the slope from an adjacent road, he said their concerns appeared to be valid.
“If there is going to be impacts on the rear neighbours from the new allotments, obviously there's been a failure in the design,” Mr Walsh said.
As with the council, responses to residents from Yallarah Estate representatives have also proven elusive, while works on the development continue to progress.
A representative from Wel.Co, the company developing Yallarah, said engineering requirements for the estate aligned fully with council planning.
They said drainage at the estate was designed to flow to a central wetland, ultimately draining north past Mt Terrick Rd and the Murray Valley Hwy into river marshlands.
“The Yallarah Estate has been filled at the boundaries of the estate to allow it to drain to the central wetland,” they said.
“This has created a level difference at the interface with existing subdivisions, such as Parkview Estate.”
Underground pipes are designed to drain Yallarah lots from the front, abutting subdivision roads, but Ms Tayt said the plumbing could be extended to the rear of lots if required.
Run-off is also expected to significantly decrease when each lot is built upon and landscaped.
Meanwhile, Cleary St resident Andrew Williamson said neighbours still had questions about their safety that remained unanswered.
“Are we going to get inundated ... Is this street going to cop it?” he said.
“They’ve dug that trench, and it feels like maybe that’s their solution: dig a trench out there. But that’s just going to hold water.”
Concerns about any stagnant water becoming a breeding ground for mosquitoes were also raised, with current public health warnings for Japanese encephalitis virus and other diseases active throughout summer.
The residents are calling for proper drainage to be installed along their fence line before the development progresses too far for trenching to occur.
They believe a large-scale agricultural pipe or similar infrastructure designed to handle floodwater is needed to prevent inundation.
Titles for Yallarah Estate have already been issued, with lots handed over to their new owners.
18°C