Newstead levee prevents damage to homes

The City of Launceston is pleased that no habitable buildings were flooded in Newstead last week, despite a North Esk flood equivalent to the record set in 2016, according to Mayor Albert van Zetten.

The Newstead levee, penstocks and Bauer flood gate all operated within expectations.

Initial assessments indicate that — without the Newstead levee — a number of residential homes would have been inundated by riverine flooding in Hart Street last week, as occurred in 2016.

The Council completed construction of the 700m-long Newstead flood levee in 2018, following the inundation of a number of homes in the 2016 floods.

The Newstead levee is predominantly an earth levee, but also includes a Bauer flood gate across Hart Street, a section of concrete levee and four stormwater penstocks.

On Thursday evening the City of Launceston closed the penstocks on the Newstead levee to prevent riverine flooding; however once this occurs stormwater which flows downhill from surrounding suburbs can no longer drain through the penstocks.

The City of Launceston deployed high volume pumps to reduce the stormwater level on the inside of the levee during this rainfall event, as it does in other low-lying areas like Churchill Drive.

As expected, stormwater collected in low lying areas inside the levee once the penstocks were closed, like the soccer grounds and at the rear of properties on Hart Street — but no residential dwellings were inundated and the levee was not breached.

While some seepage around the Bauer flood gate was reported by members of the public, this is also to be anticipated and is not a cause for concern.

In total, more than 12km of earth and concrete levees protect low-lying parts of Launceston, including 19 flood gates and a network of river height sensors which provide emergency services with real-time data on flooding in our major river catchments.

Launceston is a flood prone city. It remains the case that no flood defence system is failsafe, and properties may be impacted by riverine or stormwater flooding at any time of the year.

Residents in low-lying areas of the city are encouraged to be informed of the risks, to remain situationally aware, and to have a flood plan in place.