SEYMOUR’S Chloe Fox is no stranger to the impact flooding has on farming activities especially horticulture after being hit in 2022 and now 2024.
When “Farmer” caught up with Ms Fox she was in the middle of her zucchini patch pulling out crops that had been inundated during last month’s heavier than expected rainfall.
“We had to kill 90 per cent of our crops,” said the devastated owner of Somerset Heritage Produce.
While Ms Fox conceded that the flooding did not look as bad as the previous flood with water receding more quickly this time round, the loss of produce was still a huge economic hit for her business.
She explained that last time when the flooding occurred on the property which is bordered on three sides by the Goulburn River it was the beginning of spring and they were just starting out.
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But this time being “Peak season, we lost a lot more crops” which means it will be a short season said Ms Fox.
The almost two hectare market garden is usually planted out with a 100 different crops including heirloom varieties and lots of leafy greens.
Her produce is grown using organically practiced processes and according to Ms Fox, “We deal directly with our customers, farmers, restaurants and through the Open Food Network”.
In response about the probability of future flooding impacts whether from upstream releases at Lake Eildon or rainfall deluges, she said, “I am not confident it won’t happen again, as severe weather events occur as climate change marches on”.
“To put it in context most of the vegetable or cropping land in Australia needs to be near water,” she said, “and the answer is not moving”.
With less arable farming land available, it is a significant issue.
Ms Fox said according to locals her land went totally under during the floods in 1993.
“I definitely have concerns about the way Eildon is managed; it is more about water for larger irrigators not us smaller landholders”, she said.
“We need some transparency around the way water is managed, sitting at 99 per cent capacity and more rain on the way,” she said.
Meanwhile, Ms Fox is hitting the reset button and saving what crops she can with no plans to abandon her enterprise.
She is passionate about food security and the need for businesses such as hers to survive.
In 2022 the community, family and friends rallied around her and her partner Cam O’Mara to get things back on track after the horrendous damage to infrastructure.
While extremely grateful, she did not want to rely on that level of support again and appreciates that many of us are suffering from “disaster fatigue”.
Feeling the same pain is Michelle Bissels who lives in the Murrindindi Shire and was impacted again after the October 2022 floods.
Water from the Yea River came onto her property on the corner of Murrindindi Road and the Melba Highway.
The inundation forced the movement of 200 alpacas to higher ground and the headache of having no access to paddocks to feed them and “running out of feed”.
The property became cut off and isolated by flood waters with Ms Bissels struggling to get any assistance, including sandbags.
Her insurance did not cover damaged fences.
She said, "Eildon should be at least 92 percent or even 90 percent so we don't get flooded because the water cannot go anywhere."
In June last year a Facebook public support group was created for affected people to share images, stories and consequences of the Eildon Dam/Goulburn River water management program.
Ms Bissels is one of the 2300 members of the Goulburn River Flood Impact Group’s social media site which is closely following current supply levels for Lake Eildon
The latest flash flooding in the region with well over 140mm of rain in and around Yea, from January 8 to 9, prompted a visit from state politicians the following week.
The Shadow Emergency Services Minister, Richard Riordan (and member for Polwarth) said, "It was important this past week… to visit some of our flood affected communities".
"Touring with John Pesutto (Opposition Leader), Cindy McLeish MP and Annabelle Cleeland MP it was clear so much flood mitigation work just simply has been ignored and investments in state of the art monitoring and early warning systems have not been made, "shadow minister Mr Riordan said.
The member for Eildon, Cindy McLeish, acknowledges Lake Eildon as a vital asset in the region.
"It plays a key role in tourism, water supply, agriculture and flood mitigation and finding the right balance between all of these demands can be tricky," Ms McLeish said.
She said, "While it had no impact on the recent floods, thanks to a reduction in releases, the government inquiry into the October 2022 floods heard from many people adversely impacted by past releases and water level management.”
The Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) inquiry results are not expected until after March this year.
Ms McLeish was hopeful of a recommendation calling for GMW to fully review the management of lake water levels and releases in consultation with impacted stakeholders in order to develop a balanced management plan.
She added, "The impacts on downstream farmers' properties and, subsequently, their livelihoods should not be underestimated here.”
Member for Euroa Annabelle Cleeland said, "The lack of investment in our region's flood mitigation measures nearly 16 months after the October 2022 floods is irresponsible and shows a complete disregard for our local community.”
She asked, "What hopes are there for a town with no flood mitigation measures in place, no plans for these measures to ever be implemented, and the cloud of ongoing insurance challenges for local residents and businesses?"
"The lack of action to adopt flood mitigation measures such as a flood levee, pumps, river gauges, and an effective drainage system has led many of these businesses to question their motivation to invest and expand in our local communities, "Ms Cleeland said.
"Understandably, our farmers are frustrated with the lack of action and protection being provided to them.
"They have rebuilt fences only to be flattened again less than 16 months later with grants completely inadequately covering the impact.
"Our towns cannot be left to tread water as the persistent threat of floods remains, “Ms Cleeland said.
“The Allan Labor Government wastes billions of dollars on mismanaged Melbourne projects and yet ignores our regional communities when we are most vulnerable,” said Ms Cleeland.
Meanwhile, GMW Water Storage Services general manager Martina Cusack said, "We recognise the significant impact the recent rainfall has on the people of Seymour, Yea, and various other communities in the Goulburn region and understand their concerns.
"GMW's obligations as a storage manager are set out under the Victorian Water Act.
Under the framework provided by the Victorian Water Act, the primary role of Goulburn-Murray Water storages is to harvest and store customers' water entitlements while providing flood mitigation if possible.
Ms Cusack said the framework provided by the Act requires target filling points to be set for the storage between May and October/November.
"While these targets are not yet in place, GMW has begun making releases from Lake Eildon to increase airspace and ensure the initial filling target on May 1 can be met without the necessity for significant releases in the days preceding the filling target.
"Managing Lake Eildon requires consideration to be given to conditions across the broader catchment and what requirements the different communities within the catchment may have in both the short and long term.
"Lake Eildon cannot prevent these communities from experiencing either flooding or drought but can mitigate the impacts of both," Ms Cusack said.
"DEECA are conducting an assessment of the operating arrangements for Lake Eildon to determine if changing the operating rules could have any material opportunities to mitigate flooding downstream (Eildon to Seymour) and any associated environmental, cultural, and financial implications of such changes, she said.
"GMW is fully supportive of this assessment and is providing information to aid it where possible."
