Wagga Wagga flood predictions ease   
Last updated 20:39 06/03/2012


ANDREW MEARES/Fairfax Australia

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Wagga Wagga's flooding crisis appears to be easing, with the flood's peak reported to not pose a threat to the city's levee system.

Australia's Bureau of Meteorology said river levels at Wagga Wagga were expected to peak at 10.6 metres - just short of the level they were at during the 1974 flood - about 8pm New Zealand time.

This is below the levee's design capacity of 10.7m, and well below the 10.9m peak forecast earlier today, the Australian reported.

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A mass evacuation of the city, in the New South Wales' southwest, and its suburbs was ordered overnight, with an estimated 9000 people leaving their homes.

There are four evacuation centres in Wagga Wagga.

This brought the total number of people evacuated because of floods across NSW to almost 13,000.

He announced on his return to Sydney that following a recommendation from the Natural Disaster Council he had declared a state emergency in what is the state's largest inland city.

The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast rain to ease across much of the state although authorities have warned rivers may still continue rise as water feeds into tributaries.

Evacuation were also ordered in Yenda, a village near Griffith, following concerns that a juncture of two canals could fail.

Fourteen more local government areas in the Riverina region were declared natural disaster zones on Monday.

This means residents in Forbes, Lockhart, Wagga Wagga, Parkes, Tumut, Young, Upper Lachlan, Boorowa, Weddin, Coolamon, Corowa, Gundagai, Snowy River and Cooma-Monaro will be entitled to financial assistance under a number of state and federal natural disaster schemes.

The latest downpour started about a week ago with the SES performing 105 flood rescues and receiving 3000 calls for assistance.

Heavy rain that had hammered the region eased on Monday with the weather bureau forecasting mostly sunny conditions for Tuesday and Wednesday, and isolated showers for the afternoon and evening on Thursday.

But clear conditions won't stop floodwaters from moving downstream and submerging other areas.

"At the moment, it's what we refer to as a sunny-day flood," SES spokesman Andrew Richards told AAP.

About 630 people were asked to evacuate on Monday from Forbes, in the central west, with moderate to major flooding on the Lachlan River expected to peak at 10.65m on Thursday.

The SES issued a warning on Monday for residents in more than 60 streets across the city, including the CBD and the Apex Caravan Park.

VICTORIA SITUATION

Floodwaters are receding in most of Victoria's northeast, and federal relief funding is on its way.

State Emergency Services spokesman Lachlan Quick said most of the region's floodwaters were slowly retreating, apart from at Nathalia, where they were expected to peak on Wednesday or Thursday.

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As crews built an emergency levee bank to protect 172 homes and the Nathalia hospital on Tuesday, about 400 residents were told at a meeting the floodwaters were expected to peak at about 3.1 metres.

This is higher than 1993 flood levels in the town, but lower than the 3.35 metres previously forecast.

Premier Ted Baillieu said he hoped the levee banks would protect the town.

"At Nathalia the levee banks are still to be completed there, and that'll be completed today and we hope those levee banks hold," Mr Baillieu told reporters in Melbourne.

Shepparton Incident Control Centre spokesman Darren Skelton said people at the Nathalia town meeting were calm and cooperative.

"They've planned well for the event, and the level of cooperation between volunteers, SES, CFA, Victoria Police, means they've managed to do a significant amount of work to prepare," Mr Skelton told AAP.

Visiting flood-affected Shepparton on Tuesday, federal Emergency Management Minister Nicola Roxon said flooded communities would receive emergency funding.

"In some areas it could be weeks before floodwaters recede and proper impact assessments can be made," Ms Roxon said.

"This assistance package will provide a much-needed helping hand to families and businesses and provide funds to ensure damaged public infrastructure is restored as quickly as possible."

The Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements funding will be available to people in the shires of Greater Shepparton, Greater Bendigo, Mount Alexander and Indigo, as well as in flooded areas of NSW.

With a number of communities isolated by the widespread flooding along the flat farming region of northeast Victoria, Mr Baillieu said it would take some time to see the extent of the damage.

"It will take a while. There are a lot of roads that are flooded that are inaccessible and impassable at the moment," Mr Baillieu said.

"The water has to pass and subside so the assessment of the roads can be done.

"This is a major event and, as I said earlier, it's disguised somewhat because the skies are clear ... but this event is going to go on for some time."

Mr Baillieu warned people not to enter the floodwaters around the region, after a 43-year-old Victorian man was swept away and died after trying to drive through NSW floodwaters on Saturday.

QUEENSLAND SITUATION

In Queensland, forecasters are hopeful businesses in the city of Gympie will be spared a major flood as the Mary River continues to climb.

Forecasters say the Mary River is expected to reach a moderate flood peak on Tuesday night.

At 15 metres, Gympie's main commercial area is at risk, but the Bureau of Meteorology says the river is expected to peak just shy of that level.

"At Gympie there's moderate flood levels now, and that's expected to reach a moderate flood peak tonight," senior hydrologist Paul Birch told AAP.

"Our understanding is that the main commercial area starts to go under at 15 metres, but we think it's going to come in a little bit under that."

Meanwhile, the bureau has allayed fears that a low pressure system about 100km east of Fraser Island could develop into a cyclone.

"That's expected to remain as a low pressure system out in the Coral Sea," a spokesman told AAP.

There was flash flooding in the Gympie area on Monday, with one man swept to his death after a car was washed off a flooded causeway at Glenwood, between Gympie and Maryborough.

Another person who tried to help the man was also washed into the water, but authorities have told the ABC that person has been located and was safe.

- AAP

http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/australia/6528296/Wagga-Wagga-flood-predictions-ease