Latest News - August 2023
The final stage of Carisbrook Levee project was completed in June 2023 and Council is now working with our funding partners to confirm a date for an official opening.
The final stage of the levee will be subject to a 12-month defect period from this June completion date.
This project has delivered a significant piece of infrastructure which will mitigate flooding for the township of Carisbrook. Due to the nature of this project and importance this asset has in providing ongoing protection for Carisbrook, Council has commissioned a piece of work to develop a Levee Management and Maintenance Plan.
This plan will outline how Council will manage and maintain the levee efficiently into the future. The work will also identify any operational improvements that could be made to the asset to improve flood mitigation whilst not compromising the intent of the engineering design for this infrastructure.
The final stage of the project has been delivered with project savings. Council has held discussions with funding partners and received in principle support to spend this savings on drainage improvements throughout Carisbrook.
These works will be delivered over coming months with the first project to be delivered in Belfast Road. The works at this location includes installation of culverts across Belfast Road at the Carisbrook Main Drain inlet point and raising of this road to facilitate all weather access along the road. Works are underway and will be completed over the coming weeks.
The previous stage of the levee project has reached the end of its defect period. A final inspection of this stage has been carried out and defects have been found with this work.
In accordance with contract requirements, the contractor will be returning to repair these defects over the coming weeks. This will see works carried out on crossroad culverts on the Pyrenees Highway, with approved traffic management from the Department of Transport in place whilst this is carried out.
Central Goldfields Shire Mayor Cr Grace La Vella said it was great to see further works in Carisbrook carried out.
“This project delivers much needed flood mitigation infrastructure to Carisbrook and sees completion of an asset that has been subject to years of ongoing discussions and engagement with the local community.
“Whilst this work provides flood mitigation, due to the nature of the landscape and function of creek system in Carisbrook, full proection cannot be guaranteed from this work, and people should make themselves aware with the local flood management plan.
“Council remains committed to doing everything it can to supporting the Carisbrook community in managing flood mitigation and the work that has recently been commissioned to establish a levee management plan will seek to maintain this asset sustainability into the future.”
Carisbrook CFA Captain and life-time resident of Carisbrook Ian Boucher said that without the levee diverting the water around Carisbrook in the October 22 floods, the township certainly would have got wet feet again.
"It was just amazing the amount of water the levee captured. It's not a magic cure, but it certainly mitigated a lot of that stuff from 2011.
"Last year, if it wasn't there, we would've had a very similar conversation to 2011...It wasn't, but it could've been.
"I wasn't sure about it to be quite honest. I attended every levee meeting that was had in the lead up. But I've seen it in action - we monitored it, the level of it, for 12 hours, being mindful of the fact that it wasn't the full levee. It wasn't even three quarter's finished at that stage, and it's been improved since then."
The Carisbrook Levee project was designed by specialists Entura in response to major floods which occurred in 2010 and 2011.
- Pleasant Street levee construction (north of the railway line)
- Drainage works along Wills Street and within the racecourse.
- Construction completed in early 2017
- Williams Road Levee construction (West - East running levee, which continues east from Williams Rd across Landrigan Rd towards the Tullaroop Creek).
- Constructed in 2017
Construction of Stage Three of the Carisbrook Levee is complete including:
- Works to relocate Telstra, NBN, water and gas services, were carried out.
- The installation of twin cell box culverts across the Pyrenees Highway (located to the west of Pleasant Street, Carisbrook)
- The reinstatement of the road surface at Pyrenees Highway and final site clean-up
- Drainage works within the rail reserve
The construction work also included construction of open drain through the rail reserve and installation of driveway access to the culvert and constructing and sealing the road through the rail reserve.
The culverts will redirect the overland flows along the levee when the southern section of the levee is completed and these works will complete the missing link in the northern section of the levee and open drainage.
The project was carried out by local company Doran Earthmoving Pty Ltd - following a public tender process.
Stage Four - Completed
The final stage of the project included construction of the Levee south of Pyrenees Highway.
Specifically, Stage Four works involved the Western Levee construction - south of Pyrenees Highway and construction of 1,500 metre earthen levee bank and open drainage.
Funding for Stage Four was received at the Ordinary Council Meeting in March, 2022 and was awarded to local business Doran Earthmoving, who tendered for the project.
The final stage of the Carisbrook Levee project was completed in June 2023. The final stage of the levee will be subject to a 12-month defect period from this June completion date.
Council is now working with our funding partners to confirm a date for an official opening.
Maintenance works have been undertaken along Tullaroop Creek within Carisbrook. These maintenance works included the removal of tree saplings and any recently fallen trees that were blocking the waterway.
The works were carried out by Dja Dja Wurrung Works Crew contractors.
Background information on the levee
The Carisbrook Levee project was designed by specialists Entura in response to major floods which occurred in 2010 and 2011.
A project timeline is provided HERE.
January marked 10 years since the anniversary of the Carisbrook floods and since then we also experienced a significant rain event in late January.
These two events put the Carisbrook Levee project back on the agenda and so, in response, Council held a Carisbook Levee project community information session on Monday afternoon, 1 March, 2021.
Just over 20 members of the community attended which was an opportunity to hear from, and ask questions, to the Carisbrook Levee designer – Entura Specialist Dams Engineer Paul Southcott.
For those unable to attend, the information shared at the meeting is available to view here:
Carisbrook Levee Designer Paul Southcott PowerPoint presentation
Carisbrook Levee Project Plans
Carisbrook Flood Mitigation Expenditure and Income Stages 1 to 4
Carisbrook Levee Overland Flow Question and Answers - May, 2021
Attachment to the Q&A document above - Carisbrook: 1% AEP flood depth (m) - 6-hour rainfall event - Ultimate Mitigation Scenario animation:
Entura used statistics provided by Water Technology, from the Water Technology Study completed in 2013.
Council provided Entura the data from Water Technology through the tender process.
Entura completed preliminary design and detailed design in 2016.
Water technology study updated 2019 due to updated rainfall statistics from the Australian Rainfall and Runoff guidelines.
Council requested that Entura review the design and make some minor modifications to alignment to protect vegetation in 2020 as result of the update from Water Technology.
