Project: Latrobe Flood Levees Project

Status: Works Underway

Budget: $14m

Update September 2023:  An integral milestone was marked with the successful connection of the culvert from Kings Park to its outlet on the farmland beyond Cotton Street, an achievement realised in May. Subsequent months saw the diligent reinstatement of road sealing and footpaths, effectively restoring the thoroughfares to their pre-construction state. The traverse of Gilbert Street, a pivotal phase, proceeded more expeditiously than initially anticipated.

Notable discussions have surfaced around the topography of Cotton Street, particularly its convergence with Victor Street, raising concerns about its downward slope toward the river. While this might unsettle those covering distances beyond 50 kilometres, it's noteworthy that the design remains well within the purview of Australian design standards. Safeguarding the levee against erosive threats during exceptionally severe overtopping flood scenarios, a concrete footpath has been strategically laid along the crest of the levee. Motorists navigating Gilbert Street, via Victor Street, are urged to exercise caution and yield to oncoming traffic at the Victor Street bridge over Kings Creek.

Contingent on meteorological conditions, the Station Square carpark anticipates a resealing operation in tandem with the release of this news article.

An endeavour of this magnitude inevitably leaves its mark on existing landmarks. The impact on the Sheean Memorial led to a comprehensive rehabilitation by BridgePro Engineering, encompassing vegetation removal, an exposed aggregate base installation, seating restoration, the integration of bollard barriers, and the addition of a distinctive coloured footpath. These enhancements serve to elevate awareness of the Edward Sheean VC tribute, setting the stage for forthcoming expansions, as detailed in a separate article.

In parallel, the final touches along River Road are nearing fruition, with both entrance and exit roads being meticulously attended to. A highlight awaits Thompson's Park, where an entry widening initiative is poised to improve accessibility for community events at Bells Parade. Beyond such occasions, the space will be temporarily closed to the public, catering to the secure use of an off-leash dog exercise area.

Noteworthy strides encompass the nearing completion of the Atkinson Park levee, inclusive of the reinstallation of the once-standing gazebo. Regrettably, due to the footprint of the flood levee, parking at this site has experienced limitations, culminating in parallel parking areas along River Road.

Treloar Civil persists in its efforts within the Kings Park vicinity, finalising the earth levee, albeit with some sections temporarily inaccessible as a result.

The final phase of the project commences with the mobilisation of BridgePro Engineering near the Latrobe Pigeon Club on Gilbert Street, south of the Miles Ford Bridge. The focus here encompasses works on the Mersey Pump Station and the TasWater levee. This stage necessitates the unavailability of the carpark and water access to the public during the construction process.

A standing Interim Emergency and Flood Response Plan remains poised for implementation, ensuring readiness during the construction phase as a precautionary measure.

Update October 2022: Bridge Pro have installed approximately 130 meters of the large diversion culvert from Cotton Street to Kobie Lane. The low-flow outlet pipe from Cotton Street to the creek is also in place with the Gilbert Street stormwater now running through the culvert to the low flow pipe and into the creek.

All TasWater realignments have now been completed and TasNetworks have relocated the HV cable in the laneway next to subway and across Gilbert Street and higher power poles installed along Cotton Street.

Treloar Transport have started works on the Cotton Street levee, clearing and stripping most of the levee footprint and have commenced placement of material in the keyway and shoulders.

BridgePro have installed the short section of pre-cast levee wall at Atkinson’s Park.

Nearly a week of productive time was lost during the Mersey River major flood event that peaked at 9am on Friday 14 October 2022.

Upcoming works include the continuation of diversion culvert installation from Kobie lane to Gilbert Street, the Cotton Street Levee and the culvert section under the Cotton Street levee.   Work on the Culvert intake at Kings Creek is planned to commence in late October or early November.

Update July 2022: Visitors and residents of Latrobe have probably seen the boom of a 275 ton crawler crane poking well above the skyline in the Station Square carpark behind Hill Street grocers. This sight pleasingly confirms that works are underway to complete the Latrobe Flood Levees project over the next 12 months.

Local lead contractor BridgePro and their main subcontractors Treloar Civil & Quarries and Shaw Contracting are on site and have started relocating underground services and excavating a large trench for the 5m wide and 2.5m deep rectangular diversion culvert.  The crane will be used to place the precast concrete panels and has the advantage of a very large reach.  This culvert will divert floodwater from Kings Creek at Kings Park and channel them underground across Gilbert Street, down the laneway beside Subway and the Newsagent, through the Station Square Carpark, the overnight camp area and under Cotton Street.  Water will exit on the southern side of a levee bank that Cotton Street will be rebuilt on.

The Cotton Street earth levee will start near Weld Street and continue to get taller as it heads towards the Mersey River on the southern side of Kings Creek from Victor Street to TasWater’s sewage pump station near the Miles Ford Bridge. Kings Creek near its discharge to the Mersey River will have pumps installed to eject water to the Mersey River when water levels are high and the diversion culvert flowing.  From the Miles Ford Bridge an earth levee will continue on the river side of River Road that will taper out to ground level before the Bells Parade toilets.

There will be unavoidable disruption during the project and the contractors are balancing the minimization of disturbance and shortening the period of works.  Some of the main disruption will be when working in the access laneway to the Station Square Carpark and when crossing Gilbert Street with the culvert. There will be reduced parking in Council’s Station Square Carpark and access to it will be limited to Cotton Street.

The current intention is the retain two way traffic in Gilbert Street for the duration of the culvert works by initially building the culvert to the middle of the road and using the other side of the road including the parking lane for through traffic.  Large trucks may have to be diverted to Cotton Street. Once half of Gilbert Street has been crossed then traffic will be put over the new culvert and the other side built.  There will be loss of some Gilbert Street carparking during this operation.  The Cotton Street levee works are scheduled for completion prior to Christmas, and associated traffic disruption will not coincide with the culvert crossing in Gilbert Street which is planned for the new year.  The programming is under constant review and will become more detailed and accurate as works progress.

There will be much interest in this project and for this reason BridgePro have a dedicated resource for stakeholder engagement, interaction, and information provision.  Madeline can be contacted at madeline.bennett@bridgepro.com.au or 0448 886 745 between 8am and 5pm on week days.  A large project information board for Station Square is being prepared for the duration of the project and will be kept up to date with the latest progress, upcoming works, maps, and timetables.  Information will also be provided in Kings Park, near the Miles Ford Bridge and Bells Parade in addition to Council’s website.

Site Map

Update June 2022:  Almost six years to the day since the 2016 floods the permit for working within the Central North Burrowing Crayfish habitat has been confirmed to allow commencement on the long-awaited Latrobe Flood Mitigation Project. Construction is now imminent, and much preparation is continuing by the contractor.

Update March 2022:  Federal Environmental Protection Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act approval has contributed to a delayed commencement of ground works associated with the Latrobe Flood Mitigation project.

This project will see the construction of levees around Latrobe’s south‐western and southern perimeter as well as a flood gate structure (lower Kings Creek) and a peak‐flow flood diverter on Kings Creek at Kings Park.  The levee system is designed to prevent Mersey River and Kings Creek floodwaters from entering the town’s central business district and nearby residential areas during a significant flood event and provides a temporary water storage area for local runoff behind the walls until flood levels outside the walls reduce.

In response to community questions as to whether the removal of the Frogmore Lane causeway could reduce or eliminate the need for the proposed Latrobe levee, Council commissioned modelling of its potential hydraulic and flood protection benefits.  This modelling determined that the existing flood levee would still be required as the removal of the causeway would only allow a levee height reduction of up to approximately 250mm. Based on a cost to benefit basis and that there is no clear hydraulic benefit for the causeway removal, the project will proceed as intended.

While there has been no on-site construction activity to date, the pre-casting of concrete panels in the contractor’s yard has commenced and other items have been procured to moderate against cost increases. Asset and service relocation investigations and actions are progressing.

Preliminary Documentation (PD) in relation to Central North Burrowing Crayfish has been issued to Department Agriculture Water and Environment and public comments subsequently received following publication. A farm type fence has been constructed around the River Road crayfish offset site.

Civil and structural design is progressing for the variation as depicted in simplified overview plan and will be used to produce a revised Preconstruction Report including consequence category assessment in order to obtain the Dam Works Permit from DPIPWE.  A Dam Safety Emergency Plan will also be produced.

The latest and evolving potential program (still subject to external approvals) is:

• Diversion Culvert and Kings Creek Inlet – starting in the 2022 winter period
• Kings Creek levee, Cotton / Victor Street levee – starting in September 2022
• River Road Levee and Atkinson park levee – starting in January 2023

Modelling of the Latrobe Frogmore Lane causeway removal

As part of the Latrobe Flood Mitigation Project Council agreed to undertake modelling to examine what impact, if any, the removal of the Frogmore Lane causeway would have on the existing levee design. That work has now been finalised by Entura, and the conclusion is that removal of the Causeway wouldn’t provide any clear hydraulic benefit to the present design. The details are provided in Entura’s report: Frogmore Lane Causeway Removal Hydraulic Benefits

Update on minimising flood risk in Latrobe -  February 2021