Brothers in arms: Walt and Cale James, regular users of the Windridge Oval facility, look on from afar as floodwater takes a hold on the community sports centre. Their family home is not far from the oval, on Pascoe St.
Brendan Martin doesn’t generally have too many problems balancing his dual-existence as a dairy farm manager with his community role as chair of at Rochester Recreation Reserve’s management committee.
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Even he, however, is finding it a significant challenge to give both the attention they deserve as floodwater impacts the operation of two of his great passions.
The generally even-keeled father of four told the Campaspe News on Sunday that the same floodwaters that had engulfed the recreation reserve were now threatening the operation of the 850-head dairy farm he operates on Restdown Rd.
“There is not a lot I can do, other than wait, both in regard to the impact on the rec reserve and what happens on the farm,” he said.
As the overflow from the Campaspe River begins to recede, allowing for a better understanding of what impact it has had on the recreation reserve, floodwater was threatening to cut off the property from its daily milk collection.
The Allanby Pastoral dairy farm may have to consider a “milk dump’’ if, as expected, milk tankers are unable to access the property.
“We are located halfway to Echuca and by tonight we expect to be ‘locked in’,” he said.
Mr Martin said all the bridges had been shut to the east of his property, where all the milk-collection facilities were based.
“We are on daily pick up, but they will not be able to access the property from tonight,” he said.
“Every farm west of the Campaspe River will be affected.”
When I spoke to Mr Martin on Sunday he had not been able to get into Rochester, having last been at the recreation reserve on Thursday to assist with getting machinery to the highest point and preparing buildings for the influx of water as best he could.
“I haven’t been in town since Thursday,“ he said on Sunday.
He said the rec reserve committee was hopeful there was no significant damage to machinery
Mr Martin said he and a group of volunteers had done as much as they could at the recreation reserve.
“We removed the mowers and equipment from the storage sheds on the east side and put them up at the highest point — alongside the football clubrooms,” he said.
“Those sheds would have had a metre of water in them.”
Concerns for the pavilion at Windridge Oval, built since the last floods in 2011, seems to have been allayed by grainy drone footage showing water had only reached the bottom of the steps.
Water worry: Only 12 months after the 2011 floods the $1/2 million Windridge Oval Pavilion was built to new flood specifications. Photos courtesy Casey James
The pavilion was built in 2012 to new flood-level specifications, requiring it to be raised by 300mm from the previous building requirements.
“It didn’t get to the footy clubrooms last time, but being a foot higher this time round, we are not sure what has happened,’’ he said.
“At this point no-one has been able to get down there.”
Mr Martin said the Windridge Oval Pavilion was worth half a million dollars when it was built, which would make it — on current costings — a six-figure build today.
He said while there were much greater issues to be concerned with in Rochester, user groups would be holding their breath until they could get into the rec reserve.
Mr Martin said he was not too concerned for the future of the ovals.
In 2010-11 the rec reserve was flooded on four separate occasions and the oval surface had recovered well.
“They drain pretty quick once the river drops. A couple of hot days will cook the grass,” he said.
The facility is used during the summer by the little athletics, pony club, fishing and cricket clubs.
Mr Martin said he expected it to be all hands on deck for the clean up, when the facility could be safely accessed.
