MITCHELL Shire Council is working to bring its Seymour assets back to full operation following flooding in the town during October.
More than three months after floods, the Seymour region is still recovering, with Mitchell Shire Mayor Fiona Stevens acknowledging the hard work of community volunteers and council contractors.
She said it was ‘really encouraging’ to see several council facilities reopen their doors, while others were ‘making progress’ despite remaining closed.
Among the council-run assets to reopen was Seymour Visitor Information Centre, which welcomed back patrons in mid-January, despite the Old Courthouse building remaining closed until repairs can be made.
Seymour Historical Society will also remain closed, with floorboards needing to be replaced.
Goulburn Park and Lions Park are still shut, with council reporting ‘significant’ clean-up and safety works were required.
Tree assessments at both parks are complete, but work is ongoing to repair playgrounds, barbecues and other shared facilities.
Rotary Park and Apex Park are open to the public, but Kings Park remains closed after remaining inundated for more than three weeks following the floods.
Cr Stevens said council was working closely with the Kings Park committee of management to prioritise repairs at the ground and have it ready for the annual Show n Shine, Seymour Alternative Farming Expo and the start of 2023 football season.
Local contractor Country Wide Turf is resurfacing the entire oval, with Turfgrass Lawn Care supplying sods.
Crews installed 200 tonnes of turf sand before the sods to maximise drainage and to allow roots to take and spread. The sods have been laid and watering is underway. The oval remains closed while the sods establish.
Cr Stevens said council workers had completed most of the repairs required around the Vietnam Veterans Commemorative Walk, including cleaning the Luscombe Bowl building, initial electrical inspections, investigations into backlighting for the memorial panels, and mulching around native trees.
Further electrical work is planned for early February, including new pedestrian lighting.
The Seymour War Memorial Outdoor Pool will remain closed for the summer season after council repaired and replaced damaged pool pump and filtration systems. The next phase of works at the pool include further assessments of the building and pool shell.
More than 50 roads were closed at the peak of the flooding, with only Moores Lane in Tooborac still closed.
Cr Stevens said the road network was ‘significantly damaged’ and that council was continuing to work through repairs.
“Kings Park is getting really close to re-opening. This is a particularly big milestone and one we are all very excited to see,” she said.
“It is a key meeting place for many in our community and a major asset for our economy with a number of large events coming up.
“I’d like to acknowledge the hard work of our community volunteers, contractors and council staff to get to this point. There is still a long road to recovery ahead, but we’re getting through it and supporting each other along the way.”
A pop-up flood recovery hub is operating from Seymour Customer and Library Service Centre on weekdays from 9.30am to 4.30pm, with a range of information and support available.
for more information about flood recovery.
Seymour community groups and services will also host a community open day from 10am to 2pm on February 19 at Chittick Park.
The event will give the community an opportunity to have fun, and information about ongoing support will be provided.
