Search for flood recovery answers progresses at Murray Bridge gathering

Farmers from 19 inundated districts, frustrated with a lack of communication from government on how floodplains will be pumped out and government-owned levees repaired, were met with an influx of officials from PIRSA and the Department of Environment and Water.

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While no detail on recovery plans was offered to Stock Journal when it enquired last week, PIRSA chief executive officer Mehdi Doroudi was able to give some insight at the meeting.

Prof Doroudi said PIRSA plan to use large pumps to de-water inundated areas, but the number of pumps needed and details relating to access and engineering still needed to be worked through.

He said the pumping out process would begin as soon as possible, but they would rely on those impacted to let them know when they thought it was possible.

"We are dealing with 19 different districts that have been inundated and have impact on agriculture, and each area is different than the other," he said.

'We need a clear assessment and need to find out where we can de-water first, where we can fix the levees first and we need a detailed program associated with all of that.

"I will work very closely with DEW, the Department of Premier and Cabinet to make sure there will be a whole-of-government approach to it."

Prof Doroudi said pumping out inundated floodplains and bringing agricultural land back to productivity was his department's responsibility, while DEW was responsible for levee repair - at this stage.

"If it is going to be changed again as part of this process, I don't know," he said.

"It's a work in progress within government."

No one from DEW was available for comment.

Other important information to stem from the meeting was that the SA Dairyfarmers' Association have received funds from PIRSA to assist producers with de-watering.

While SADA chief executive officer Andrew Curtis wasn't able to divulge how much money had been allocated, he said SADA "would work with government to make sure the job was done".

He expects the de-watering process to be staggered as water in different areas recedes.

Finer details, such as who will carry out the task, are still to be worked through, but people with the capacity to pump out themselves are expected to be reimbursed under the arrangement.

Long Flat livestock producer, and one of the meeting organisers, Joanne Pfeiffer said the purpose of the gathering was to let impacted people know they weren't alone and to open communication lines with government.

The Pfeiffer family have 135 hectares underwater, are bearing the cost of having sheep away on agistment, and have no power to irrigate their high ground.

"This was to finally recognise that there's a community here that hasn't been shown an interest in," she said.

"They're suffering, frustrated, angry. This wasn't going to happen if we waited so as a community we decided to do it ourselves.

"One thing that hopefully we've impressed on government agencies today is that we have to be in the room when decisions are made."

Fellow organiser, and president of the Mypolonga Progress Association, Steve Hein said while not a huge amount of clarity on the path ahead had been offered by government officials, he said they'd certainly had their eyes opened to the issue at hand.

"They understand the breadth and number of people asking for answers now," he said.

"We've got some basic information now. After hearing from the community, what we'll be looking for in a few weeks time is some timeframes, trigger points and directions.

Livestock SA's fodder coordinator Hannah Trevilyan said fodder requests had slowed along the river as people either sold stock or moved them to agistment.

'We had another truckload come yesterday and that will fulfil the last of the requests we've had come through," she said.

Ms Trevilyan also played an integral role in organising the community meeting, saying it had been important for impacted people to gather and form a collective voice, as well as for them to know they weren't alone in the difficulties they faced.