GHD team helps keep flood waters at bay

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5 October 2010

The Rural City of Wangaratta (RCOW), in north-eastern Victoria, turned to GHD for emergency advice when floods hit the region on 5 September 2010.

After residents within the Wilson Road levee received an emergency evacuation order, Grant Jones, an Albury-Wodonga team member and Wangaratta resident, offered GHD’s services to the RCOW. GHD provided options for stabilising the levee, which had three sections at risk of breaching.

Grant commenced site inspections with Incident Control Centre (ICC) representatives under emergency procedures on 7 September. Further inspection on September 8 by GHD dam engineer Paul Maisano found a 60 metre section along the King River required stabilisation.

Working with limited resources available on site, Mike Taylor and Paul Maisano designed a remedial option the next day.

Construction commenced at 7am on September 10. Grant Jones, Mike Taylor and Jonathon Reid supervised the works until, on the evening of September 11, GHD advised that the works had sufficiently reduced the likelihood of levee failure.

Works are continuing to secure sections of the levee and residents are now allowed back into the affected area. GHD is providing ongoing advice to the RCOW and will help investigate the effects of the floods.

For more information please contact Kane Dowsett
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