With much of the country being lashed by ludicrously high amounts of rain in recent weeks and months, a number of caravan parks and camping grounds have been inundated by floodwaters.
In time, the waters recede, the places are cleaned up, the sun shines, and – perhaps with a few lessons learned – business gets back to something like normal … until the next time!
However, in some places, the power of the water and the erosion it caused raise more longer-term questions.
The Fraser Coast Chronicle newspaper reports that erosion appears to be threatening a caravan park in Maryborough, Queensland, after two major floods in as many months broke the banks of the Mary River.
Since the waters receded, trees, part of the barrier fence and much of the hillside has fallen away outside the Huntsville Caravan Park at Tinana, where the Lamington Bridge went under.
A letter, viewed by the Fraser Coast Chronicle, shows an exchange between the manager of the park and the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR), with concerns raised regarding both the bridge and the extensive erosion near the caravan park.
“(TMR) is currently undertaking detailed assessment of the recent flood damages at both the southern and northern abutments of the bridge,” the letter from TMR to Huntsville Caravan Park manager Barry Chapman read. “Once completed, the necessary remedial works will be undertaken to address any damages on TMR assets and corresponding areas within our jurisdiction.”
The letter said the Lamington Bridge had first sustained damaged in the 2013 floods, after substantial rain hit the Wide Bay region when ex-tropical cyclone Oswald hit.
“TMR completed remedial works to address the major scouring and erosion on the southern road and pedestrian bridge abutments after this event,” the letter read. “Subsequent inspections of the bridge and the abutment, undertaken as part of its periodic inspection program over the intervening period, have indicated no issues with stabilisation of the southern abutments or adjacent banks since undertaking these flood damage treatment works.”
The Fraser Coast Chronicle says that the TMR letter explained that poor soil condition of the riverbank, coupled with the significant rain event was likely to be the main cause of the vegetation washing away.
“The bridge which was constructed over 100 years ago and is a low level structure designed to be overtopped,” the letter read. “Due to the volume of impacts across the road network during the most recent rain events, there is no time frame for delivery of the upcoming remedial works.
A spokesman from the Department of Environment and Science told the newspaper that work was being carried out with local environmental management groups, including the Mary River Catchment Coordinating Committee and the Burnett Mary Regional Group, to identify projects to remediate environmental impacts following the floods.
The Fraser Coast Chronicle says it reached out to Mr Chapman, but he declined to comment.
Of course, it is not just the erosion caused by flooding rivers that can be a problem. Continuing coastal erosion has been an ongoing threat to some of Australia’s iconic beachfront caravan parks.
