New flood mapping was always going to cause ire in the eyes of many within our community.
It would be easy to pass it off as a classic – albeit oversized – case of NIMBYism (not in my backyard), but there are far too many anomalies for this to go unchecked, or at least unexplained.
Properties up a hill are classified as a flood risk, yet neighbours down the hill are not. Homes built as part of new estates in known flood-prone areas are not included in the mapping, yet those on higher ground are a flood risk.
If there are factors which would have helped people escape the flood mapping – information which new property developers may have been privy – then why not give people the opportunity to comply?
Under the current “system”, the only way people can challenge a classification under the new flood mapping is to employ an independent surveyor to conduct tests.
If anyone was selling their house, it would be wise to do that. Information would be passed on to council, and classification would be reviewed as a result.
Yet again in local government, there seems to be gross inequity. One rule for all, but an opportunity to protest if you can afford it.
Cr Jon Raven took aim at an “incompassionate” letter that was sent to residents by bureaucrats. Where was the letter in February explaining to residents the process that was soon to take place on their properties?
There are far too many inconsistencies for this to be left alone.
