A long-time Katherine mayor says planned levee banks for Katherine are in the wrong spots.
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The NT Government is asking residents to comment on long-delayed plans to construct protective levees in the flood-prone town.
Katherine Times has today learned those banks will be between 0.3-1.8 metres in height, some built from earth, and some sections from concrete.
While authorities say little could be done to stop a 1998-type flood from again devastating the town, levee banks could minimise the impact of smaller floods.
Jimmy Forscutt was mayor of Katherine for 16 years, including at the time of the 1998 flood, and says the plans are all wrong.
Mr Forscutt said he has tried to alert Katherine Town Council to intervene as well as contacting the government.
“They say the banks should be through the middle of the town, basically giving most of the town up,” he said.
“That’s not what we have had in mind all these years.
“I think most people would have thought the levees would raise the level of the river bank at crucial places.”
Authorities want to hear from residents about their plans.
The planned location of the banks has already surprised some residents like the former mayor.
Mr Forscutt said a levee on the river bank at the Rocks, around the hospital to the cemetery would “throw the water out the other side” and take pressure off Katherine.
“I am shocked to see they are planning to give up the town.
“Twenty years and this is the best we can do.
“These levee banks are irrelevant to saving the town.”
The planned banks would run along Chambers Drive, helping with flooding from the Tindal direction, and the Victoria Highway.
The levees are expected to minimise flood damage from smaller more frequent floods.
The flood mapping suggests the risks can come from two directions, Tindal Creek as well as the river.
The decision follows the Katherine Flood Mitigation Advisory Committee’s 2015 recommendations.
Recommendations include a combination of levee banks and drainage.
According to a Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics (DIPL) fact sheet “a combination of levee banks from Auster Street to Stuart Highway and along the eastern side of the Victoria Highway in addition to upgraded drainage will provide the greatest reduction in flood impact.”
In 2014, $25 million was allocated to Katherine, following the sale of a TIO, to safeguard the town from future floods.
There is about $11 million of that money still left in the kitty from the TIO sale for the levee bank works.
Residents are being asked to have their say on the plans, chiefly through an online survey.
The survey can be found at – https://haveyoursay.nt.gov.au/
A government spokesman said preliminary modelling indicates the levee will predominately be less than 500mm in height.
“There are some areas as indicated in the drawings where the levee will be in the form of a block wall.
“The highest part of the proposed wall is in an area near the showgrounds, and may be in the order of 1800mm at one location. Other areas the wall will be less than 300mm in height.
“The Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics staff in Katherine have the flood panels from the show set up on the First Floor of the Katherine Government Centre and are able to provide greater clarity around particular areas.
“At this stage detailed costing has not been completed until final feedback from the public consultation is taken into consideration.”
The department intends to set up its display in the Katherine Shopping Centre soon.