RESIDENTS of Westbourne Drive and Carlyle Avenue had their properties inundated with water on Wednesday morning, and not just from the rain overhead.
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Properties that share a boundary with a 29-allotment subdivision being developed off Westbourne Drive were flooded after excess water flowed down from the construction site.
Residents of two properties, who didn’t want to be identified, felt the situation could have been prevented.
“It probably could have been prevented because the hole that flooded, it doesn’t have any drainage. They could have had a better water management plan,” one resident, who reported the flooding, said.
Given further rain was forecast for the afternoon, they said they were concerned about going back to work and leaving their young family home alone in case more issues arose.
A second resident said the problem had been “brewing for a long time”.
“We moved in here in February this year and everything was fine, we’ve never had any problem,” they said.
“Ever since the development started, this is when we’ve had this problem, not only here, it goes right down to the end of the street.
“The last time when we had the rain, probably six or eight weeks ago, people had their pools full of muddy water.”
They said they had spoken to the person in charge of the work and said they seemed to think what had happened was acceptable.
“It’s not, because we paid the money for a house and you don’t expect this stuff to be happening,” they said.
They explained that the ground was initially level with the rear fence, but had since been built up so high that a second fence had to be erected to ensure privacy. A much lower retaining wall also sits between the fences.
The resident said that, while not a drainage and earthworks expert, they knew water didn’t run up hill, which was why their property had flooded.
“If it’s raining that heavily, the water is going to run downhill under these fences,” they said. “I know they’ve put up all the stuff to stop it, but that’s not going to cut it.”
The resident said they also understood that pipes meant to take water away had not been connected yet.
Mayor Graeme Hanger said council staff had anticipated heavy rainfall and contacted land developers to ensure their sites were in good condition to avoid problems.
However, Bathurst Regional Council was contacted by a number residents and has began investigating the concerns raised.
“Council actively monitors development sites to ensure compliance and works closely with developers as their projects unfold, and after each significant rainfall event,” Cr Hanger said.
“Ultimately it is the developers' responsibility to operate in accordance with Council approved plans and to avoid impacts on neighbours and the environment.”
