SATURDAY: Derwent Valley flood recovery expo

A FLOOD recovery expo will be held in New Norfolk tomorrow (Saturday) to provide information and support to individuals and businesses affected by the recent flooding in the Derwent Valley.

Presented by the State Government and the Derwent Valley Council, the expo will be held in the New Norfolk War Memorial Hall, Circle St, from 10am-3pm.

Among the organisations to be represented at the event will be:

• Housing Tasmania (recovery and restoration grants)
• Tasmanian Health Service Community Social Team
• Australian Red Cross
• Tasmanian Council of Churches
• Insurance Council of Australia
• Legal Aid Tasmania
• The Salvation Army
• The St Vincent de Paul Society
• DPIPWE (Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment)
• Landcare Tasmania
• Derwent Catchment Project

More information is available by calling the Flood Recovery Unit on 1800 567 567.

Click image to enlarge.

In a statement issued earlier this week, the Derwent Valley Council said its staff had been working rigorously to assist residents affected by the floods and to safely re-open affected council infrastructure as quickly as possible.

The statement said the council had received more than 150 flood-related resident enquiries in the first week and a half, and that assessments and works were being completed as safely and quickly as possible.

"Council’s small crew of workers were able to provide access of Glen Dhu Rd during the week including the reinstatement of bridges. Council staff attempted to ring every resident in the Glen Dhu Rd area, this commenced on Friday [May] 11 when the full extent of the flooding event became apparent. Follow up calls were made to a number of affected residents since that time."

Recovery efforts over the first weekend saw the State Emergency Service's Rapid Assessment Team door-knocking at homes along Glen Dhu Rd. "The SES coordinated their response with council to provide residents in the affected areas, food rations and access to a paramedic," a council spokesman said.

"Council’s priority is to reinstate all public infrastructure, and it is well aware of damage to private
properties, roads and bridges. Council officers are in discussion with State Government
Departments to arrange solutions where possible.

"In addition to contacting residents individually, where possible, council has posted all government-issued flood-related information on its website and social media page. Council staff have responded
to many individual telephone and in-person queries, directing them to the appropriate emergency
and management services as required."

ROAD CLOSURES

• Lachlan: Hansons Rd bridge and the road network beyond to the north.
• Molesworth: Glen Dhu Rd is open to local light vehicle traffic only, with a five-tonne weight limit past the fourth bridge (the timber bridge about 3.8km off Molesworth Rd). Please take care and drive to the conditions, as the council continues to address the uneven surfaces of road sections between bridges.  The council will continue to have heavy machinery operating in the area. Please drive safely and observe all signage and direction by council staff at all times.
• Tynwald Park is closed until further notice.

FREE TIP ENTRY FOR FLOOD-AFFECTED RESIDENTS
To help those people with affected homes in the Derwent Valley, the council is providing free entry on Saturday and Sunday, May 26-27, at the Peppermint Hill Waste Disposal Site in New Norfolk.

To access the free entry, please provide proof of residence in the Derwent Valley municipal area, such as drivers licence or a or utility bill showing your residential address.

The council says materials accepted for free disposal must only be:

• from residential properties located in the Derwent Valley Council municipal area
• severe weather affected/damaged materials
• storm or Flood green waste
• of residential quantities only