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Wallsend businesses call for flood works

Wallsend business call for flood works (User submitted: Kylie Richards) - ABC

Fearing a repeat of the 2007 floods which inundated the Wallsend CBD, businesses are urging Newcastle council to expedite flood mitigation measures in the suburb.

The council recently adopted its Citywide Floodplain Risk Management strategy which it says could cost up to $40 million to implement.

Vice President of the Wallsend Town Business Association Max McCorkell says with every big rain event, retailers are constantly on edge and want the council to start works its identified as a priority.

"A couple of weeks ago when everyone was saying the storms were coming, some of the comments were the storm would be as bad as the Pasha Bulka weekend and the canal came up to breach its edges," he said.

"But as we keep saying in town lets do the small the small things we can do with the money we have and the bigger things we're going to have to put off."

He says the council has identified Wallsend as a priority for millions of dollars in flood mitigation works, but doesn't have the funds to implement them.

"We were the number one priority to start with because we apparently in the State have the biggest possibility of major flash flooding but we keep getting the message back from the council there's no funds available," he said.

"We've been through three lots of community consultation and everything that has to be done is there.

"All we need now is some cash from the council to start some of the development."


- ABC

© ABC 2012

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