Drain blame

By Melissa Meehan
Wakenshaw Crescent residents are tired of a constant deluge of water every time it rains.
It has been this way for almost four years, but no-one – not the local council, developer or Melbourne Water – seems to have the answer.
Every time it rains residents complain to the Cardinia Shire Council, who wash their hands of the problem – instead blaming Melbourne Water.
Resident Meg said she had seen the street flood four or five times in the past three months.
“It doesn’t drain properly, and there is nowhere for the water to go,” she said.
At Monday night’s council meeting, Cardinia Residents and Ratepayers Association president Gloria O’Connor asked who was responsible for the repeated flooding and serious drainage problems and when the problems would be fixed.
General Manager Assets and Services Mike Ellis said Melbourne Water was responsible for the issues and that they were in talks with Metro about building drains under the railway crossing at McGregor Road.
“From what we have been told, Melbourne Water is seeking approval to put a drain under the rail line and they are trying to work out with Metro when they can stop the trains,” Mr Ellis said.
When Ms O’Connor asked whether it was the right decision for the council to approve a development on the land in the first place, Mr Ellis denied it was the council’s fault.
“The decision was referred to Melbourne Water as the statutory authority and that’s what the council’s decision was based on,” he said.
Metro spokesman Chris Whitefield said the transport provider had been in talks with the developer’s consulting company Reeds Consulting, not Melbourne Water.
“In all honesty the ball is in the court of the developer,” Mr Whitefield said.
“It has been that way since 2007.”
Mr Whitefield said Metro had given ideas about how the works could be done, which would include shutting down the rail line between Berwick and Pakenham over one weekend.
“We have given them the costings of doing the works, and how much it would cost them for closing the line and that’s where we have left it,” he said.
“It all comes down to money.”
He said during the works commuters would see bus replacements run between Berwick and Pakenham from, ideally, a Friday night to Monday morning – to give enough time for them to be completed.
“But we have not ever seen a proposal yet,” he said.
“Once we receive that it will be pretty straightforward.”
Both Melbourne Water and Reeds Consulting did not respond to the News by time of going to print.