By Anthony Probert | posted on August 24, 2017
FRUSTRATED residents in Youngs Siding say they have been ignored by the government agencies responsible for coordinating today’s planned opening of the Wilson Inlet sandbar at Denmark’s Ocean Beach.
The Weekender visited several properties in Youngs Siding last week that were extensively flooded, and saw a number of roads that were knee-deep in water and inaccessible without a 4WD or waders.
The floodwaters, which continued to rise over the weekend following a further 25mm of rain on Saturday, flow back from Wilson Inlet and Lake Saide.
It would be at least three days after the sand bar is opened before the water recedes.
Margaret Francis, who has been living in Youngs Siding for 30 years, said her plea to have the opening of the bar fast-tracked to alleviate the flooding, or at least to get an answer on when the sandbar would be breached, had fallen on deaf ears.
“We were given no credence whatsoever,” she said.
“We have had the complete runaround from Water Corp, the Shire of Denmark and the Department of Water.
“They all say ‘we’re following the protocol’ and don’t give you any answers. Meanwhile, we’re completely flooded. Why does it take so long to organise?
“We shouldn’t have to live like this.”
Water Corporation Great Southern regional manager Adrian Stewart insisted that the three agencies involved would stick to the Wilson Inlet Sandbar Opening Protocol.
The document is the result of an extensive review in 2009 and provides guidelines for the optimal time to open the sandbar based on the water level in the Denmark River at the Old Railway Bridge.
“The sandbar is opened as part of the plan to manage flooding in the area,” Mr Stewart said.
“The opening of the bar is governed by the Wilson Inlet Sandbar Opening Protocol, whereby the water height in the inlet must reach a certain minimum level before an opening is triggered.”
Ms Francis was critical of the timing of the sandbar opening and the time it took to organise.
She said the variation in water levels between the Denmark River and Youngs Siding meant that residents’ concerns and input about the flooding were warranted, but they were made to feel as if they didn’t matter.
“We cop the water from both sides – from the inlet and from Lake Saide – and it can only be alleviated by opening the inlet, but they’re not interested in hearing about it,” she said.
Ms Francis said she had become used to flooding in the paddocks on her property, but it was the toll that the flooding took on the limited infrastructure in the area that was worrying.
Phone lines were often damaged and gravel road surfaces were destroyed by the effects of sitting under water for weeks.
Mr Stewart said the timing of the opening was outlined in the protocol and is primarily determined on when the optimal water level will be reached based on anticipated rainfall.
“Once a date has been determined by the participating agencies, we are also required to consult various agencies and stakeholders outlined in the protocol,” he said.
“Water Corporation is also required by the protocol to issue a media statement with its public safety message about the opening, with sufficient time to meet local media deadlines.”
Adding to residents’ frustration is that this year’s opening is a month later than last year’s, although it has been brought forward by one week following recent rain.
The protocol, which is available on the Shire of Denmark’s website, acknowledges that the timing and location of the sandbar opening has been a topic of hot debate within the Denmark community for more than 50 years.
Three new monitoring stations which have been installed in the Wilson Inlet will aim to shed further light on the health of the waterway and the effect of flushing from the opening of the sandbar.
The monitoring stations were deployed by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation earlier this year and will measure the inlet’s physical parameters, including water temperature and salinity.
