Friday, 19 August 2022

Kallista stormwater management

Ms BURNETT-WAKE (Eastern Victoria) (15:59): (2084) My adjournment matter is directed to the Minister for Transport Infrastructure. The action I seek is for the minister to invest in a remedial water management strategy and drainage system for the Kallista township to address damaging levels of undirected stormwater. Kallista is a quaint town surrounded by forest and sloping, unsealed roads. It is a beautiful town that has inspired many artists and authors; however, the picture of the town becomes quite different when it rains. Monbulk Road runs through the village. This is a declared road under the VicRoads umbrella; however, this road and adjoining arterial roads lack regular maintenance and drain cleaning.

The current small drains are not adequate for the area and are contributing to man-made flooding. Due to the steep incline of the arterial road, stormwater is often seen gushing down side streets, such as Emberson Street and Gleghorn Road, before making its way onto the main Monbulk Road. Once the water hits Monbulk Road it rushes down the footpath, makes its way over embankments and into driveways and eventually passes the Kallista Tea Rooms. The water is full of clay, gravel and debris, and there are no gutters to direct the flow away from homes. The strong gush of water has caused significant damage to homes and businesses, and this happens over and over again each time we get a heavy downpour of rain.

The Liberal candidate for Monbulk, Gareth Ward, recently met with the owners of the Kallista Tea Rooms. They have been trying for years to have the matter resolved by the state government, but calls for help to Monbulk MP James Merlino have fallen on deaf ears. Residents are fed up with relying on sandbags, shovels and mops. They have cleaned the drains on Monbulk Road for over 40 years. The flowing water is dangerous to both drivers and pedestrians. The water is also causing erosion of roads and footpaths. Residents are concerned about the harmful environmental impacts of the stormwater entering nearby creeks, such as Sassafras Creek. I invite the minister to check out the Kallista flood watch Facebook page to get an idea of the volume of water and the impact it is having. I call on the minister to invest in a remedial water management strategy and drainage system for the Kallista township.