Marooned

By Lia Bichel
ALMOST one year after floods ripped though the City of Casey, affected residents have been hung out to dry.
Melbourne Water announced they would make small improvements to drainage systems in areas across the City of Casey in the coming months, but said the municipality had not been identified as having an extreme flood risk in their long-term strategy.
The news comes as more residents have joined a community flood support group formed in the wake of the February disaster by Hampton Park resident Michele Halsall.
Ms Halsall said many flood-affected residents were not happy with Melbourne Water’s announcement, but were trying to move on with their lives.
“At least Melbourne Water was honest and now residents know what is going on,” she said.
Ms Halsall said the support group had grown dramatically in the last month, with people trying to cope with the aftermath of the floods.
“With Christmas coming up, people are starting to worry about their financial situation. A lot of people hit a brick wall psychologically and financially,” she said.
“Some people have started moving back in but others are too scared. Some of the people who have decided to move are not moving in their furniture so it will never be a home.”
Melbourne Water Manager of Flood Plain Services Phillip Neville said Melbourne Water was conscious that people were upset and properties in the City of Casey were affected, and they were working with the council to see what improvement could be made.
“We understand the community’s concerns about the impact of the extraordinary February floods. Casey was one of the worst-hit areas with suburbs such as Berwick and Hampton Park receiving almost four times the average monthly rainfall in just a few hours,” Mr Neville said.
“We have scheduled a number of small improvements to the drainage system in the coming months to help mitigate future flood risks.”
Pam Higgins, who attends the support group regularly, was forced to live in a trailer when her rented home was destroyed by the floods.
She said she hoped fixed drains and better awareness would prevent a similar flooding incident in the future.
“It might happen again, but I think people should take more notice and be better prepared,” she said.
Ms Higgins said her life has changed since the floods, but she was adapting with the help of the support group and a new hobby.
“Twice a week I vent my frustrations through social tennis,” she said.
“Things have changed, but my life is starting to feel normal again.”
Anyone wanting to learn more about the support group can contact Michele Halsall on 0413 390 533.