Drained over storm water- Steve Hastings is worried a storm water drain near his property will create more flood havoc in the future. 63333

By Lia Bichel
AN Endeavour Hills man fears a storm water drain near his property will create a flood of problems in the future if the Casey Council does not accept ownership of it.
Steve Hastings said the drain on the nature strip of his Brandon Court property was blocked during the floods in February, causing water to spill into his house.
While his insurance will cover the costs of damaged property, Mr Hastings said he wanted the council to accept responsibility and maintain the drain to avoid any similar incidents from occurring in the future. Mr Hastings said the council originally accepted responsibility for the drain after the floods occurred, but denied ownership when he tried to put in an expense claim.
“After the floods, I called the Casey Council to unblock it. They said they were too busy to fix it and to call a plumber and then put in a private claim to the council. That was fine with me, but the plumber confirmed that the blockage was not on my property and therefore could not fix it because it was on council property,” he said.
Mr Hastings said the Casey Council sent a works group to clear the drain, adding that he still sent the council a claim of $350 to cover the cost of the plumber. Instead of receiving the money, Mr Hastings received a letter from Echelon Claims Services, on behalf of Casey, who said Mr Hastings was responsible for the drain and Casey Council was not.
Casey Council did not provide a response by the time the News went to print.