Flood recovery event will be held at Pompoota this Friday
Plus a state minister responds to reports of locals’ expertise being disregarded in the Lower Murray’s reclaimed irrigation areas.
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A recovery event will be held at Pompoota this Friday to help locals deal with the aftermath of the recent River Murray floods.
State government staff will be available at the Pompoota hall between 10am and 3pm to help people apply for grant funding, register for property clean-ups with Green Industries SA, and get referrals to other services.
In the evening, locals will celebrate the start of water being pumped off the floodplain with a $5 barbecue at the hall from 6pm.
SA Housing Trust presiding member Mary Patetsos encouraged anyone affected by the floods to drop by during the day.
“The staff at the centres have the expertise to help determine what assistance you require and what you are eligible for, so make sure to visit to the centre to help along your recovery journey,” she said.
Mid Murray Mayor Simone Bailey was grateful for the support on offer.
She, too urged locals to visit the pop-up recovery centre to “ask questions and find support and be guided through the various grants and programs by highly experienced, friendly staff”.
A similar event will be held at Bowhill Community Centre on May 23, and others are planned for Swan Reach, Blanchetown and Morgan.
Help is otherwise available at the Murray Bridge flood recovery centre, at 28 Bridge Street, between 9am and 5pm on weekdays; or the Mannum centre from Tuesday to Thursday.
Locals can also call the state relief and recovery info line on 1800 302 787.
‘I appreciate that it’s frustrating’
Meanwhile, state Primary Industries and Regions Minister Claire Scriven has responded to last week’s report in Murray Bridge News about irrigators feeling like their expertise had been disregarded during flood preparations and the recovery.
She pointed to the formation of a Lower Murray reclaimed irrigation areas recovery committee, in March, as an example of the government’s efforts to listen to locals.
But she was open to suggestions about how government agencies and community members could work together more effectively.
“I appreciate that it’s frustrating for farmers who just want to know when they can de-water,” she said.
“I appreciate that it’s difficult for people who are needing to get on with their farming business but are unable to do so in the way that they would like, and I fully appreciate that’s also going to have longer-term effects ... (on) when you can move stock back, when you can re-seed and things like that.”
She acknowledged that, early in the flood recovery, people had told the government that it wasn’t communicating effectively – “there was certainly a lot of feedback in regards to the difficulties around the levees”.
But “in more recent times, most people have felt there’s been better communication and a reasonably speedy response to their concerns”.
- Contact Claire Scriven’s office: Call 8226 2931 or email minister.scriven@sa.gov.au.
- Contact community recovery coordinator Alex Zimmermann: Call 0455 984 411 or email alex.zimmermann@sa.gov.au.
- More information: Subscribe to the River Murray flood community newsletter at us19.campaign-archive.com or visit www.recovery.sa.gov.au.
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