Letter to Campbell Newman 18.4.13

19th April 2013

Campbell Newman Premier Qld
cc. David Gibson MP Member for Gympie Qld
cc. Mark Jamieson Mayor Sunshine Coast Regional Council

Dear Mr Newman,
I am writing to you in response to you letter dated 12th April 2013.
In you letter you stated that it was difficult to ascertain what the actual cause of the water surge problem is.  I have outlined below what we consider to be the major causes of the water surge problem, and what we believe should be done to solve the problem.
The water surge problem in the Lake Macdonald area has only occurred over the past 3 ½ years (some of the residents have lived here for 17 years and this has not occurred before).

1.	We firmly believe that the major cause of the water surge problem is the speed of the storm water run off from the large residential estates that the Sunshine Coast Regional Council has approved in and around Cooroy.  It is not the amount of rainwater falling but the speed of the runoff.
We had no rain in the Lake Macdonald area but it rained in Cooroy which caused a metre water surge through our properties, our neighbours could not get out of their property for 6 hours.

2.	When Link Water put in the pipeline they lowered the height of the culvert          which has redirected the flow of water during storms onto the Lake Macdonald Estate.  They have also put in as elevated pipeline which is holding back the water, forcing onto the Lake Macdonald Estate.

I have included with this letter a map of the area.-

	Which clearly shows from which direction the water surge problem is coming from.

	A map showing the developments the Sunshine Coast Regional Council has allowed to be built.

	A map showing the catchment area of Cooroy, any stormwater falling within the black line flows behind the Lake Macdonald Estate.

	Photo of the water surge after only 100mm of rain, it also shows that the surge is coming from Cooroy and not the Lake Macdonald overflow into Six Mile Creek.  The right hand side of the paddock is about 2 ½ metres lower than the left hand side.

             How can developers be allowed to commission their own Hydrology studies which is based on extremely out dated information admitted to me by the SCRC Hydrologists.
            I would have thought this process would be fraught with danger.

							2.

   If State Government and Council employees were legally responsible for there many decisions, would they allow developers to build on land that is subject to flooding and water inundation.  I think not.

  We believe that to fix the water surge problem the State Government and the Sunshine Coast Regional Council need to :-

Build a substantial levy bank across the culvert to keep the water within its banks.

Take the elbow out of the Six Mile Creek, this will take the water away from this problem area.

Have Link Water lower the pipeline below the bottom of the creek bed.

Put on hold any approvals for developments that are presently before council, and not approve any future developments until the effect of the water surge problem has been fully investigated.

Have the Hydrologists do a complete new hydrology study for the area.

Carry out any work necessary to solve the water surge problem.

As I have said before this is a life threatening situation, does someone need to die before the authorities do something to fix the problem?

 Bob Miller
19 Anembo Place
Lake Macdonald Qld 4563
Phone No 07 54425063