Residents call for action to fix local flooding

Residents in at least eight Umina streets are calling for urgent action from Gosford Council to take steps to fix local flooding.

The residents of Lovell Rd, Umina, are increasingly concerned that a sink hole is forming under their street and they want action from Gosford Council to fix the regular and worsening flooding.

"We have a serious flooding issue that is occurring in Veron Rd, Sea St, Lovell Rd, Connex Rd, Shepherd St and Glenn St, Mackenzie St and Onslow Ave, Umina," said Mr Tony Maddern, who lives in Lovell Rd.

According to Mr Maddern, the flooding issue is equally serious and needs equal attention in all streets.

However, as resident of Lovell Rd, he said he felt best informed to speak about the situation developing in his own street.

"Whenever there is torrential rain for more than 20 minutes, Lovell Rd floods where the road dips down, approximately between numbers 10 and 40 (at the Veron Rd end)," Mr Maddern said.

"Flooding reaches approximately 50cm to 70cm deep in the middle of the road near numbers 19 and 20 Lovell Rd," he said.

"Flood water from waves caused by vehicles passing through the flooded water has also entered the houses at numbers 16 and 20 Lovell Rd."

According to Mr Maddern, on Wednesday March 16, he and residents at 15 and 19 Lovell Rd, observed a continuous stream of bubbles coming from the road between 19 and 20 Lovell Rd for the period of the flood, which was from approximately 7am until 11:45am.

"This to me indicates a potential sink hole forming, or at least a serious issue with the drainage," he said.

"The drain at 20 to 22 Lovell Rd appears to be in very poor condition and at risk of collapse or failure.

"It seems to be buckled due to subsidence.

"In Onslow Ave and Mackenzie Ave, at the junction where these two streets meet, the land dips down.

"Flooding is not helped by a third-world style drainage ditch.

"There was a further flood in the area on Sunday, March 20.

"Residents who have lived in Lovell Rd for over 25 years have told me that flooding never used to occur until housing was built on the hill behind us at the Panorama Park Estate, where Kingsview Dve is.

"I also believe that what seems to be unregulated construction of granny flats, sub divisions and multi-dwelling housing being built in large numbers in our area is making the flooding issue worse, due to less green space being available to soak up rain.

"More roofs are channelling water straight into the storm water drains causing more pressure on our drainage infrastructure, which is no longer able to cope.

"When I spoke to residents at 19 Lovell Rd last week, they told me that they had asked the Gosford Council to deal with this problem previously, but were given an excuse that the creek where the storm water flowed into needed to be dredged, but a Green Party politician in the NSW state Government had blocked this from happening.

"I believe that our storm water drains into a channel behind the Brisbane Water Secondary School at Umina, which flows into Correa Bay at a drainage outlet at Approximately 125 Woy Woy Rd, near the Hammond Care nursing home.

"The flooding problem is worsened by people ignoring the fact that they can clearly see water over the road and warning signs put out by council workers.

"They often drive through the water quickly, causing large (up to 15cm) waves.

"Many people have also had major flood damage to their cars and car engines caused by driving through the flooded water.

"I dragged a woman's car out of the flooded water.

"She had ignored the warning signs, the fact that the road was flooded.

"Her car and engine were flooded.

"The only reason that I towed her out was because she had her two teenage daughters in the car with her.

"Last year I assisted a woman in the same situation, but she had also ignored me after I stopped her and advised her not to drive through the water."

The residents are calling for their storm water drains to be flushed immediately, to clear out all blockages and sand build up.

They want storm water channels that run into nearby creeks, Brisbane Water and the sea to be dredged and flushed regularly.

"We want Gosford Council to suspend approving the construction of multi-dwelling houses and granny flats until the drainage system has been upgraded," Mr Maddern said.

Residents are also calling for an upgrade of local drainage infrastructure to occur to provide for all new and future buildings and drainage needs.

"I do understand that upgrading our drainage system is an expensive task and will need state government assistance.

Mr Maddern said he had invited residents in affected streets to a short meeting on Saturday, April 2 to discuss the issue and start a petition.

"This issue is affecting the cost of our insurance premiums, the potential value of our homes, as well as potentially the loss and damage to our property caused by flood damage.

"I'm one of the lucky ones, my house has never been affected by flooding yet."

Emails, 24 Mar 2016

Tony Maddern, Umina