An open letter to Melbourne Water and Kingston Councillors

Mr. Laurence Newcome

Urban Growth Engineer

Melbourne Water

• cc Minister for Planning
• cc Kingston Council Officers
• cc Kingston Councillors
• cc Dingley Village residents

16/12/2016

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Floods in and around Kingswood Golf Course, also in much of the south of Dingley Village will exceed currently unacceptable levels if development proceeds

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Dear Mr. Newcome,

Flood volume estimates for the proposed overfill of dwellings on Kingswood Golf Course, no matter how well calculated, are deeply inaccurate due to grossly underestimated input criteria.

Melbourne Water's plans show the Golf Course park is a natural flood plain and during floods innundates housing beyond its perimeter. So much so, there are building overlays.

The hugely lacking input statistics include no reference to floods in Golfwood close on the flood map, yet in recent years the floods were above knee deep at that location. It was at the height of water restrictions, so some residents washed their cars with the floodwaters.

Further, floods in Centre Dandenong road reach levels where they cannot possibly be allowed to reach higher levels (see photographs).

Most of all, at present the Golf Course park has 54ha of sandy loam soak, known for its ravenous water absorption properties. This soak acreage is greatly assisted by one of Victoria's largest aquifers below. Further - pumps run constantly in flood events, drawing water from the retarding basin onto the Golf Course holding dam.

The Aquifer was equipped and enhanced with State Government financial assistance not so long ago - over $100,000 "down the drain", should the overfill proceed.

The interim building plans submitted to date will reduce this magnificient soak of nearly 54ha to an estimated 5ha, after blocks of units and blocks of buildings, plus roads and paths are in place.

Any household water collection will be overwhelmed by a sustained downpour.

Already the storm drains cannot cope with present rainfall downpours thus any further increase will causing further flooding on the roads. The base infrastructure cannot take away rains so what hope is there to take any extra?

Given all the above, the input criteria for Kingswood drainage calculations are hopelessly incorrect.

As we now make this flood information public, who can residents sue when we are proven correct?

At a meeting I attended with Melbourne Water, your organisation's staff stated that they were no longer permitting building where a development will export floods downstream, creating massive problems in other areas under Melbourne Water's responsibility, ultimately leading to increased bayside flooding.

Yours faithfully,

Kevin Poulter

Secretary

Save Kingswood Group incorporated.

Introduction

The addition of streets, driveways, buildings, patios, swimming pools, paths etc., creates impervious areas where surface water can no longer infiltrate. The greater the impervious area, the greater the runoff.

Drainage does not stop inundation if inadequate

Drainage in many developments receives less attention, and the result is greater than normal runoff occurring in the higher parts of the development, and the excess water flowing to the lower elevations in the development. The problems are almost always transferred downstream to significant areas in Dingley Village.

The proponent's (developers) contractors have done modelling to avoid floods, but modelling and calculations only work if the input includes the information presented here by the Save Kingswood Group incorporated.

Groundwater dynamics

To date, the majority of proposed mitigation strategies and management plans have been heavily focused on controlling surface water sources; however they have missed flood events and mitigation strategies plus management solutions which only take into account overland flow may solve only part of the flooding issues.

The greatest risk of not understanding the groundwater dynamic during flooding events is the possibility of triggering unintended consequences of mitigation and management strategies.

Groundwater flood mapping is not a new concept. Flooding legislation recently introduced in Europe and transposed into law in the United Kingdom has recognised the importance of groundwater flooding by incorporating a requirement to assess the risk and undertake measures to reduce this risk where groundwater flooding is significant.

Melbourne Water no longer accepts excessive run-off from estates

From Save Kingswood: At a recent meeting with Melbourne Water we were advised that new estates can be well-drained, however when excessive inundation occurs, they then export their flood problems downstream. In this instance, apartments may have tanks to contain some water and the area can include a larger retarding basin, however in regular downpours they overflow. (See photographs) This run-off plus the water from streets, will block innundation from existing residences in Dingley Village, increasing floods where there were less problems before.

The proponent intends to leave almost no sandy loam soak uncovered, so the retarding basin capacity needs to be immense, or better still, halted as an impossible project.

The photograph in section 1 shows the retarding-basin lake, which overflows. To reduce the flood impact, water is pumped into storage dams, but that buffer will reduce or cease to exist. So there’s the combined threat of hugely increased run-off, with massively reduced “soak” area.

There is also the immense Aquifer or underground water storage, which the Government reportedly contributed $100,000 to develop not so long ago. This is one of the best Aquifers in the country and should not be built on, due to loss of flood control and shifting soil foundation quality as it dries out. Construction within metres and lack of attention will also threaten the survival of native trees identified for retention.

“Land subsidence occurs where large amounts of ground water have been withdrawn from a thick layer of saturated fine-grained sediment that is susceptible to compaction. ... in some areas concentric cracks develop over smaller areas where compaction is occurring.”

Ref: Ground Water and the Rural Homeowner, by Roger M .Waller.

Below: Melbourne Water

At a meeting with Melbourne water attended by Save Kingswood, their staff explained they will no longer allow flood water from estates to cause huge problems downstream, even as far as Kananook Creek and further south.

Melbourne Water has demanded that any water excess to the norm resulting from floods in Kingswood must be contained within the development and only released at a rate that will not cause flooding in the rest of Dingley Village.

Therefore the proponent's contractors made calculations and plans for retarding dams, then announced that their overfill of houses will benefit Dingley Village, by stopping flooding elsewhere!

They also changed their statement that all utilities were agreeable, to "we have allocated $15 million to works to avoid flooding in Dingley Village".

Sounds good?

That shows how little they know or care about the area, with Melbourne Water data inadequate as well.

The floods modelling is based on inadequate data and ignores known flood events.

So no matter how many complex calculations are made, if the input data is wrong, so are the resultant findings.

As the developers build and bolt, yet this Save Kingswood Group Inc. document questions the hydrology data, who can residents sue when they are flooded?

From the proponent (developer)

Hydrology input underestimates the flood damage that will be caused to a great number of Dingley Village residences.

The proponent included the map below, however it is nearly 15 years old and does not take into account new buildings and increased water inundation upstream! It also does not show all floods that occurred.

Golf Course floods are already acknowledged to innundate approximately 70 homes south (downstream) of the course! Another plan, submitted by the proponent (applicant) ...

Streets that are severely affected are mentioned, but not modelled! See map below.

"Rainfall and Evaporation - Rainfall and evaporation data for Melbourne City with a range of 01/01/1966 to 31/12/1966 was used in the model"

What?!!

Above: From the proponent's submission, item 6.2.2. MUSIC model setup. 1966!! Why is such old data used? Local inundation and houses upstream have dramatically increased since then.

Why "Rainfall and evaporation data for Melbourne City in 1966"?

Below: another map - flow path to wetland/retarding basin ...

Isn't section 4 above a massive temporary retarding basin? Constructing a massive temporary retarding dam for stage one is total removal of trees, will create dust and chaos for the residents, resulting in extreme inconvenience, cause more asthma attacks and respirity medical conditions. Plus dust found to ruin electronic devices in their homes, from airconditioners to televisions to computer printers.

Snakes and wildlife will flee in terror into the backyards of about 150 homes that have easy access, most with open weave cyclone fence that was put up on their boundary by the golf club.

The current Dingley Village Special Building Overlay map below shows just part of the potential devastation coming if floods upstream in the Kingswood Golf Park are ignored

The overlay ignores the worst affected - the top of Golfwood and in Lee-Andy.

The Kingswood Golf Course Park already has a huge influence on existing flood zones in Dingley Village.

• SPECIAL BUILDING OVERLAY - purpose
• Shown on the planning scheme map as SBO with a number (if shown).
• To implement the State Planning Policy Framework and the Local Planning Policy Framework, including the Municipal Strategic Statement and local planning policies.
• To identify land in urban areas liable to inundation by overland flows from the urban drainage system as determined by, or in consultation with, the floodplain management authority.
• To ensure that development maintains the free passage and temporary storage of floodwaters, minimises flood damage, is compatible with the flood hazard and local drainage conditions and will not cause any significant rise in flood level or flow velocity.
• To protect water quality in accordance with the provisions of relevant State Environment Protection Policies, particularly in accordance with Clauses 33 and 35 of the State Environment Protection Policy (Waters of Victoria).

Flood areas on the map have been overlooked and/or greatly underestimated. (see below)

Area 1 - the retarding basin and surrounding Golf Course sandy loam soil

Above and next three photographs: The retarding basin as it was when residents moved into Higgins close.

Below: The retarding basin currently cannot cope during floods

Note the "lakes" of water on the surrounding Golf Course and total overflow inundation of the Retarding Basin.

During large downpours water is pumped from the retarding basin and also floods onto the Golf Course. This causes short-term "acceptable" flooding, as the floods permeate into the sandy loam soil to the large Aquifer (natural underground water basin)

If the Golf Course is filled with Flats and Dwellings, a possible large four storey Age Care complex, footpaths and roads, this massive soak will cease to exist, resulting in previous inundation modelling being totally inadequate.

Below: the retarding basin overflow, flood level inundation in recent years.

Below: A garden table (from the house shown here) was swept away.

Area 2 at the bend in Greenwoods close

Floods have occurred here and a resident has contacted us, however there are no photographs.

Area 3 Golfwood close

Deep floods in Golfwood close - yet not shown in inundation plans!

Feb 2011

Floods rushed from higher ground causing low houses in the top of Golfwood Close to be inundated. Number 45 is raised above ground level, but number 47 was inundated by water into the house. Carpets were destroyed inside, so new carpets had to be laid.

Over 10 cm of water surged against the garage doors at number 45, threatening damage, so the doors were raised. Water flowed through the garage, exiting on the back side fence into Willy court. The owner of the adjacent property in Willy court was extremely agitated when water inundated his property.

Floods in front of number 47 Golfwood Close were knee deep, so the water was used to wash their car.

A complaint was made to South East water. After they examined the area, an extra drainage pit was installed, yet the area flooded again after that installation.

Complaints about flooding in one home to Melbourne Water resulted in Melbourne Water replying "it's not our problem, contact Council". Council said "it's not our problem, contact MelbourneWater".

The source of these floods appears to be from Greenwoods close to the north, which flows through a drain on the Golf Course. But the existing drain cannot handle the volume of water.

Again, this huge inundation is not shown on flood plans!

Area 4 next to Dingley Primary School

Below: Centre Dandenong road inundated, in the region south west of the Primary School.

Area 5

Photographs show flooding at Torquay close Dingley Village, 20th February 2011.

This does show on a Special Building Overlay below, however the extent can only be seen in the photographs ...

Area 6, Lee-Andy court

May 1, 2016

• I am in Lee-Andy court and have a storm water pit in my backyard and last night we flooded again. Like the times before the water pressure in the line burst the concrete pit lid right off and the water spewed into the backyard.
• I am wondering who else is along the same storm water line as me and if you flooded last night also?
• I know that last time this happened there were a few other people in the Golfwood close area backing onto the golf course that did.
• This happens whenever there is a large downpour and it is at the point where floods have lifted all of the pavers in the yard.
• Quite frankly I am tired of having to rush home from work or to get up in the middle of the night trying to sweep the water away so it doesn't penetrate the house.

But wait there's much more. Since writing this many more incidents in the central Dingley Village flood plain have been reported to us ...

The Golf Course is home and breeding grounds to a multitude of iconic and protected Australian wildlife

Constructing a massive temporary retarding dam for stage one will threaten thousands of wildlife who use the existing water spaces as their home or habitat, plus wildlife in the trees and land that will be destroyed.

Below: plans of the first stages of the proponent's over-development of Kingswood.

Subject to change by the proponent, or as ordered by the relevant authorities ...

* No Net benefit for Dingley Village

* No preservation of the thousands of trees, estimated at 20,000 native to Dingley Village trees, as that’s the number of indigenous trees planted.

* Loss of the only significant treed open space in Dingley Village. The “lungs” and filter for Dingley Village. Proven. Thousands of Birds, wildlife and trees lost.

* Increased traffic - up to 2,000 extra cars, plus also the Hawthorn Football Club traffic. Up to one hour to travel through Dingley Village when traffic increases - proven

* Not enough Maternal Health places - waiting lists

* Child Care waiting lists

* Kinders already overfull

* Primary Schools full - portables installed on Dingley Primary Preps front lawn playing area and more may be coming

* Secondary Schools full - portables installed

* Health services overloaded now, regularly wait up to 2-3 weeks for Doctor of your choice.

* Lack of sporting facilities for up to 2,200 extra residents

* Shopping more difficult - carpark already regularly full - will residents again shop out of town to avoid the chaos?

* No developer will provide the $20 million or more needed to address these essential needs.

* Longer waiting times for health services

* The Community Centre overloaded - already needs more space

* A 20 percent increase in Village population - new town in the centre of town

* Overloading a Village that is up to an hour away from any Activity Centre in peak traffic

* Years of Chaos, noise and Dust - strain on medical facilities for asthma and other lung complaints. Proven in a nearby destruction!

* Expect more buses in your area, even though many run nearly empty now. Plus an attempt to re-introduce Bus Lanes on Centre Dandenong road, which was previously voted against by 95% of Dingley Village residents in two polls, including a Council poll. Bus lanes would also create some of the narrowest lanes in Melbourne.

* Floods - their plans are based on Melbourne Water’s inadequate and flawed input

* Drainage and Stormwater infrastructure unable to cope.

* NBN and other services clogged, so everyone endures a much slower connection than copper - proven in other areas.

* Sewer overloaded?

* Electricity demands put stress on power, lower voltage and longer power outages

* Reduced mains water pressure

* They want to move out the mobile phone tower, so will phone reception be unacceptable again?

* Constructing a massive temporary retarding dam for stage one, then in other areas is scorched earth of biblical proportions, removing thousands of wildlife and trees destroyed.

* Years of dust and chaos - proven in nearby bulldozing.

* No consideration for the nearly 200 neighbours on the boundary

* All high density - BUILD AND BOLT, fleecing Dingley Village

* No consideration for infrastructure

* No consideration for current services needs, nor those they will impose

* No consideration of the environment or flora and fauna

* Loss of a major aircraft safety and noise buffer for thousands of circuits, take-offs and landings, including passenger Jets and Helicopters.

• Note the huge interim retarding basin - but will it be enough?
• See "A" the only tree specifically marked for preservation - scorched earth
• The devil is in the detail - what is going on the "Superlots"?
• Note new traffic lights and new in/out access in two more places, shown by black arrows
• Note many homes that currently enjoy endless golf course views, and paid a high premium for that, will now have two neighbours each, overlooking, close to their fence.
• Note the 200 to 238 square metre lots!
• Nothing is even close to Village Character
• Dingley Village is not an Activity Centre
• The Mobile telephone tower is going to a new location off-site - there goes good reception for many of us
• The entire concept is flawed from the beginning
• No preservation of the thousands of trees
• No consideration for the nearly 200 direct neighbours
• No low density - just stack them in and run
• No consideration for infrastructure
• No consideration for current services needs, nor those they will impose
• No consideration of the environment or flora and fauna
• No net benefit for Dingley Village
• Increased traffic - up to 2,000 extra cars, plus also the expected Hawthorn Football Club traffic.
• Not enough Maternal Health places
• Child Care waiting lists
• Kinders already overfull
• Primary Schools full - portables installed on Dingley Primary front lawn and more may be coming
• Secondary Schools full - portables installed
• Lack of sporting facilities for up to 2,200 extra residents
• Shopping more difficult
• No developer will provide the $20 million or more needed to address these essential needs.
• Longer waiting times for health services
• The Community Centre overloaded - already needs more space
• A 20 percent increase in Village population - new town in the centre of town
• Overloading a Village that is up to 40 minutes from any Activity Centre
• Years of Chaos, noise and Dust - strain on medical facilities for asthma and other lung complaints
• Drainage and Stormwater unable to cope.
• Thousands of Birds, wildlife and trees lost.
• Constructing a massive temporary retarding dam for stage one will threaten thousands of wildlife who use the existing water spaces as their home or habitat, plus wildlife in the trees and land that will be destroyed.
• Plans that have been revealed so far are beyond the worst we could ever expect - a ghetto of multi-storey clusters, up to four storey preferred and most likely applied for in the Superlots, high density, narrow streets, no significant parkland. (Their major "park" is actually a retarding basin water overflow, i.e. backup retarding basin), below mean ground levels and subject to flooding or dampness regularly.
• If they address public transport needs, then expect more buses in your area. Plus an attempt to re-introduce Bus Lanes on Centre Dandenong road, which was previously voted against by 95% of Dingley Village residents in two polls, including a Council poll, especially as it would hugely impact on residents travelling in cars.
• All these problems are caused by an opportunistic, greedy grab for land profits, by paying above Kingswood's valuation, and a reckless assumption that a council would approve the demolition of our "jewel in the crown", the Kingswood Golf Park, currently zoned open space - special use.
• Loss of aircraft noise and crash buffer zone
• Politicians are side by side with us in objecting to ruining Dingley Village.
• Notes
• "Activity Centre" is the designation of towns very close to a Railway Station, public transport, Schools, Shops and the like. You will have seen huge high-density, multi-storey units already in place in areas including Westall, Cheltenham and Moorabbin, however Dingley Village is - or should be - exempt from these "modern slum" dense buildings.
• "One hour from an activity centre" refers to peak hours
• Sporting Facilities. The large Park on the old Spring road tip is of absolutely no use for sports. 25 years after closing the tip, the Council is unsure when the land will be stable enough to use. Even then there will be a battle for funds to make playing fields and Grandstands. Council announced there will be some nature-strip parking on Rowan road for Netballers, but they refuse to make a carpark on the park for the same reason - they are unsure when the land will be stable and have no plans of the big hole that was dug out. A local resident has determined from old aerial photographs a large area near the netball courts was never dug up and is therefore suitable for car-parking, but council is not interested and continues with their inadequate, dangerous plan of angled parking on the nature-strip.

The developers will Bulldoze, Build and Bolt, leaving all the problems for Council and residents.

Excerpts from ‘Citizen-to-Councillor-booklet-2016’

Page 9

……Councillors need to balance their obligation to represent the interests of their constituents and to make decisions that will benefit all of the community.

Page 10 Determining development proposals

…….Councillors are often faced with having to decide contentious development proposals after considering opposing viewpoints from ratepayers, developers and other interested parties. Issues requiring council’s consideration when deciding applications include objections and submissions received by the council as well as environmental issues, visual amenity considerations, impact of a development on neighbourhood character, economic and social considerations.

For private study only. Assembled by Save Kingswood Group incorporated.

For private study only. Assembled by Save Kingswood Group Incorporated. If the proponent, council or utility can prove any claim is incorrect and we concur, that comment will be amended. However the proponent once said "do not mention three storey" and then included three storey flats in about 40ha of their entire plan! So if any correction is proposed by them, we will check extensively first.