Greater Shepparton City Council chief executive Peter Harriott and Shepparton mayor Shane Sali at a community information forum on Wednesday night. Photo: Max Stainkamph.
Greater Shepparton is bracing for a long clean-up as water slowly recedes, but the Causeway between Shepparton and Mooroopna is set to open on Thursday or Friday.
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Emergency warnings have been dropped in Kialla West, Orrvale and Mooroopna, with the Shepparton warning expected to disappear on Thursday.
People have slowly left evacuation centres to move back to their homes across Tuesday and Wednesday, with 400 people at the peak at the McIntosh Centre and hundreds more across both Tatura and at Deakin Reserve.
Authorities are concerned the bridge in Murchison may have shifted off its foundations, with assessment in the next few days to determine the extend of the damage from flood water.
Incident Control Centre deputy controller and Northern Region State Emergency Service regional manager Ray Jasper said there was no longer water on the Causeway, with the link open to emergency services and essential vehicles, but would likely open to the public on Thursday.
Victoria Park Lake on Wednesday as water began receding. Photo: Megan Fisher
Photo by
Megan Fisher
“All the bridges are fine, the bitumen has bubbled in a few places but that's not affecting the essential surface. It'll be under restricted speed and traffic control,” he said.
He said there were still too many roads shut in Mooroopna to handle the volume of traffic which would be coming across the Causeway, which is clear of water and structurally sound.
Mr Jasper said he hoped Woolworths in Mooroopna would open on Thursday, following food drops in the town on Wednesday in conjunction with the Lighthouse Foundation, GV Cares, Foodshare and the Ethnic Council.
Assessment of properties in Murchison began on Thursday and will continue in Mooroopna and Kialla West on Thursday.
Greater Shepparton City Council chief executive Peter Harriott said the cleanup would begin on Thursday, and encouraged people who were able to to begin taking their own rubbish to either transfer stations or the tip to help alleviate pressure on council.
Tip fees will be removed.
Rosie Arnel, Hannah Summerville, Jemma Bell and Ruby Arnel sandbagging at Kaarimba Hall on Wednesday
Photo by
Holly Daniel
Skip bins for those unable to transport their own waste were being placed across Murchison on Wednesday, and would be brought to Mooroopna across the coming days.
"We'll empty those as they become full", Mr Harriott said.
Kerbside rubbish collection will begin from Thursday, although council workers won’t be entering streets with water in them, Mr Harriott said.
Shepparton police Inspector Bruce Simpson urged people to stay put and be patient unless they urgently needed to be somewhere.
"As the roads open, we ask people to refrain from going sightseeing. Roads are in damaged conditions,“ Insp. Simpson said.
More than 180 roads were closed in Greater Shepparton, and Mr Simpson said police were “playing catch-up" in pulling down signs on roads which were okay to open.
Mr Jasper urged people to treat wet or hard sandbags as hard rubbish and dispose of them, but said people should keep a hold of dry ones in case of further flooding.
“I don't want to scare anyone, but they are a lot of effort to fill and we’re expecting a wet spring so if they haven’t gone hard please put them in the garage and hold onto them,” he said.
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