WITH flood conditions starting to ease across the Bathurst region following heavy rain early in the week, it's time to take a breath and consider the lessons we may have learned. And the report looks good.
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The most obvious lesson from this year's flood event must be that the impact on our region has been much less than during previous flood events.
The Gordon Edgell Bridge was under water for the best part of four days and some roads have closed in outlying areas but, overall, people have been able to move around the city with relative freedom.
The main reason has been the success of the Raglan Creek diversion (pictured) that was installed by Bathurst Regional Council, with funding from the State Government, in 2013 with the aim of preventing the closure of the Great Western Highway at Raglan during significant rainfall events.
Previously when the creek flooded it would spill water across the highway near Learmonth Park, cutting the major link between the Central West and Sydney and causing havoc for Bathurst and Kelso residents trying to move between the two parts of town.
If the highway was shut then it was inevitable that the low-level bridge on Hereford Street would be under water along with the causeway on Eleven Mile Drive, meaning Bathurst and Kelso would be cut off from each other.
The Raglan Creek diversion takes water from the creek during high flow periods and redirects it to the Macquarie River - and keeps it off the highway. The diversion is not much to look at in dry times but when it's wet it has proved to be worth every cent of the $1 million spent on it.
Similarly, a long-running engineering project at Perthville appears to have been a success with the village also escaping the terrible flooding residents have endured during previous heavy rain events.
Queen Charlotte Vale Creek has been quick to flood in previous years, inundating homes, but new levees seem to have done the job of minimising flooding.
A job on the local council is usually one that attracts more brickbats than bouquets but Bathurst Regional Council's engineering department deserves plenty of credit for what we have seen over the past few days.
In past years a 5.15 metre flood would have been devastating for many in our region; this year it was just an inconvenience.
Congratulations on a job well done.
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