Hay well prepared for a flood event

Despite the river lapping her lawn, Chris Huntly is all smiles in face of the current flood. She is pictured on Sunday with grand children Halle, Indi and Kenna.

Our town is surrounded by floods and road closures as wet weather and rising rivers across the region dominate the news, but Hay is well prepared, according to Hay Shire Council General Manager David Webb.

In a media release last week Mr Webb said Council was working hard to keep the community informed.

“Council is liaising with SES (State Emergency Services), working together to keep the community safe and informed,” he said. “We will provide at least daily updates, and more frequent if required.

“Council staff have closed off flood gates and pumps have been set up accordingly to remove any water from rainfall.”

As a community, Hay is becoming resilient in terms of living side by side with the Murrumbidgee River. Many have heard of the impact of the 1956 flood, which stands as Hay’s biggest in living memory, when the river rose to 9.26 metres.

In the 1974 floods the river reached 9.02 metres at Hay and in December 2010, 8.48 metres.

In March 2012 the State Emergency Services (SES) recommended evacuation to Deniliquin, a warning heeded by eight per cent of residents. In that event, the river height reached 8.99 metres, and the town hastily prepared by raising the existing levee that surrounds Hay from 9 metres to 9.5.

“The levee was increased in 2012 to a typical height of 9.5m,” Mr Webb said.

“However, this has never been ‘signed off’, but, as I understand, it handled the 2012 event satisfactorily. Council crews have commenced monitoring of the levees and inspecting known hot spots, and will have staff patrolling at night.

“We will raise the levee as required, if we start to get towards this level,” General Manager, David Webb said.

In 2016, after the wettest August and September on record, the river height reached 8.69, and earlier this year, in August 2022 the ‘Bidgee rose at Hay to 7.9 metres.

According to the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) Hay is set to be impacted with river heights of around 8.4 metres, later this week.

The issue with this flood along the river is the saturation of the ground from recent heavy rainfall, and the fact high flows are coming back-to-back on top of earlier events this year; creeks and billabongs are full.

The Murray River and its tributaries are also in flood, which blocks the passage of the Murrumbidgee River flows at Wentworth, where the two rivers meet.

Put simply, the Murray has right of way at this junction, which could cause the Murrumbidgee to back up further.

Hay SES’ Robert Marmont says the next weeks are simply a waiting game.

“No one knows,” he said. “Everything is wet, everything is full and water is going where is hasn’t before.

“The peak usually takes three to five days to reach Hay from Carrathool,” Mr Marmont explained.

“In August it took 50 hours, so we just don’t know.”

“There will be impacts on roads, and we are also dealing with flooding along the Lachlan River that could see more roads closed at Booligal, but locals are taking it all in their stride.”

In 1974 the Lachlan River at Booligal reached 3.16 metres and it currently sits at 3.17 metres (Monday)

The current information provided by the BoM is that the Lachlan River at Booligal Weir is “likely to remain near 3.15 metres through to mid November, with minor flooding.” However Monday’s height had already exceeded the BoM prediction for next month.

Wendy Lugsdin’s gracious home at ‘Wangara’, 18 kilometres from Hay, overlooks the rising Murrumbidgee River, and will experience the peak before the flows arrive downstream in town.

She is remarkably calm in the face of the floods, having lived through the 2012 and 2016 events.

“To be honest, I am not doing anything differently,” she told The Grazier.

“I have a levee around the river side of the house which held up in the last two floods.

“My house does not get water in it, so I will probably sit on the back verandah with a G&T (gin and tonic) and enjoy the water views.”

In town, Christine Huntly owns two properties which back onto the riverbend in Brunker and Pollard Streets, and she too is similarly unfazed.

“I won’t be doing anything,” Mrs Huntly said. “I’m not too worried about either home.”

Mr Marmont has the following advice for concerned residents – be prepared.

“We have time, so now we can be getting our important paperwork together, and making sure drains and gutters are clear.

“Use the Live Traffic app, and listen to ABC Radio Riverina and 2HayFM for updated information.

“SES has information on social media, and from 7.5 metres onwards, I will be releasing daily river heights to The Riverine Grazier and 2HayFM, so we can work together to keep everyone informed.

At Balranald the Murrumbidgee River may remain around 6.75 metres through to the end of October, with minor flooding, accoding to the BoM.

At the time of going to print the heights at Hay town and Balranald Weir (downstream) were 7.92 metres and 6.81 metres respectively.

If you require flood assistance, contact SES on 132500. Do not attempt to cross or drive through floodwaters.