Rochester’s near miss still has town under the pump

ROCHESTER residents had a big scare in the second week of the year when the level of the Campaspe River surpassed the ‘major flooding’ level of 114.50 meters. 

While the predicted maximum level was 114.80 meters, the flow peaked at 114.62 meters on Tuesday 9 January before stabilising and dropping slowly over the following days. 

Rochester Flood Mitigation Group member, local business owner, and president of Rochester Business Network, Tracie Kyne, said the weather caused ripples of anxiety through the town. 

After the October 2022 flooding event, 90 per cent of homes in Rochester were inundated, and many people are still recovering. 

“Even though we were being told that it was probably a level we could cope with, we were all a bit anxious because in years gone by what we’d been told was underestimated,” said Ms Kyne. 

“We went from lunchtime, being told that although the river would flood it would be okay, then getting an evacuation notice from VicEmergency which really upset a lot of people. 

“Tuesday came and there was an instant relief within the town, but there’s still a lot of very anxious people around, but then it started spreading out to our farmers.  

“Our farmers are the ones that are on our radar at the moment from a Rochester Business Network point-of-view, because they’re still trying to get over 2022… and now they’re losing crops again.” 

Since 2022, many residents had been storing their belongings in shipping containers while rebuilding homes. She said several of these had been flooded, and a lot of people had no insurance. 

“They’re now thinking what’s the point?” said Ms Kyne. 

“Somebody asked me at the supermarket this morning ‘We’re you affected?’ And I said one hundred per cent of our town was affected. Maybe not with water inundation, but definitely with the feelings of dread. 

“I don’t think anyone can really get over something that happened and destroyed 90 per cent of our town.” 

Rochester Business Network’s marketing coordinator Milly Cain said the whole town was busy preparing before it was due to protect as many of their things as possible. 

“We’re relieved it was a close call, that there wasn’t any inundation into homes, but it’s that mental anguish that is still really raw for people,” she said. 

While not an issue this time, Ms Kyne said the flood mitigation group wants the maximum level of Lake Eppalock lowered to prevent it contributing to future floodings that would be catastrophic to Rochester and surrounding areas. 

For the past 15 months, Ms Kyne said the group has been lobbying for the State Government to decrease the level of Eppalock to less than 90 per cent until the town has better infrastructure. 

“We’re very respectful of what jobs they’ve got to do with the water that’s in the dam,” she said.  

“But if we’d had the dam at 100-110 per cent, like it was in October 2022, it would have been a much different outcome. 

“Our government needs to know that this is a serious subject, and we need to do something sooner rather than later.”