THE South East could be under serious threat of localised flooding within the next decade without a major boost in the state government’s drainage maintenance funding, warns Civil Contractors Federation of SA chief executive officer Phil Sutherland.
Earlier this year, the federation undertook a preliminary audit of the 2500-kilometre SE Water Conservation and Drainage network and found it was on the “brink of ruin”.
Many of the 300 bridges are in a dire state and unlikely to meet modern safety standards. Mr Sutherland is extremely disappointed the state government has not prioritised more funding in the 2016-17 budget.
He says about $10 million is needed for immediate remedial work and a doubling of the annual maintenance from $2.2m to $4m.
“The government’s own audit has found the same deficiencies but they have put the results in the bottom drawer,” he said. “What we find most appalling is the state government wants to make landholders pay for public infrastructure.
“The government should be responsible for the drainage system and its infrastructure or you could use the same argument for footpaths or roads and lots of other public infrastructure running past private property.”
Mr Sutherland says the state government is taking a “myopic view”, not recognising the social and economic importance of the SE drains.
“Economists tell us that for every $1 spent on public infrastructure, including roads and bridges, there is up to a 10-fold return to the community,” he said.
“The maintenance of the drainage system would be an excellent unemployment relief program, and would also facilitate new skills training.
“The drainage system not only keeps water off the land, but the bridges are critical for farmers to get their product to market and even move machinery from paddock to paddock.”
Mr Sutherland says being an area of conservative voters, the SE is being ignored by the government.
“If this was happening in Whyalla, there would be huge government investment like we have seen with Arrium,” he said.
“But we are in the SE and they are strong Liberal seats.”
