The NSW State Government are being accused of halting progress on flood mitigation works in Wallsend after an application for funding to the Office of Environment and Heritage was denied.
In 2007, prior to the June long-weekend floods, Newcastle City Council produced a draft plan warning that Wallsend was at serious risk of catastrophic flooding – saying that floodwaters could rise to several metres in just minutes.
The Wallsend electorate has applied to the Office of Environment and Heritage for a long time to assist with rebuilding bridges in the area, which has also been promised under the re-elected Newcastle Labor government in the lead up to the local council elections earlier this month.
State Member for Wallsend Sonia Hornery said the application was put to the State Government for funds to undertake the Wallsend Flood Mitigation Plan.
"The Wallsend Flood Mitigation Plan is about looking at steps to ensure that when we do receive flash flooding - and it will happen again in Wallsend - that we can prevent a loss of life and loss of businesses," Ms Hornery said.
Although the Labor Party held government when the 2007 floods occurred, Ms Hornery said under the Labor Government they were only able to complete studies before losing office in 2011.
"Decisions about what we really needed to do only really occurred when the Liberal Party took power in 2011, and the reason for that is, we experienced the flooding in mid-2007, and then we undertook a series of very complex studies into what needed to be done and what the answers and solutions were. That took a few years and so by that time the Liberal Government were elected," Ms Hornery said.
