Hundreds of Echuca residents have been left feeling like “sacrificial lambs” after their homes were left on the wrong side of the flood levee built to protect houses from rising flood waters.
Resident Nick has told Today that his home has just missed out on being included in the area protected by the levee, leaving him “gutted”.
He can see the levee from his doorstep.
“To get the news that the shire were putting a levee bank in was great, but to find out they were sacrificing us was totally gutting us to be honest,” he said.
Nick sandbagged his home on Sunday while his wife and children were out sandbagging in other parts of the community.
“If we’d have left it till yesterday we’d have got (no sandbags) because the bank went up yesterday. It is devastating,” he said.
“My wife and kids sandbagged all weekend for the community… We’re a pretty tight-knit community here in Echuca so they spent all weekend helping the rest of the community and then the shire went and put that bank up and basically we feel like we’re not part of the community anymore.
“We’re not worth saving. It hurts, really hurts.”
Some of the two km of levees that are being built to help protect houses in Echuca. Sections of the levee are well over 1.5m tall. #vicfloods pic.twitter.com/IMkOdXWcCr
— Bransen Gibson (@BransenGibson) October 17, 2022
19/10/22 Morning rounds.
Goulburn Road, Echuca East New levee under construction#vicfloods #vicfloods22 #echuca #greatwallofechuca #murrayriver #tlittphotographyau pic.twitter.com/uqJdaTeFHk— TonyL_AmPhotos (@TonyL_Tchum) October 18, 2022
The community of Echuca has been rallying together to build the three kilometre-long and two-metre high levee, designed to protect thousands of homes from flooding when the Murray River peaks later this week.
There’s a lot of jokes and camaraderie as Echuca pulls together. People have likened it to a real life version of a Survivor challenge. #vicfloods pic.twitter.com/VXINGI3txA
— Kate Roberts (@RochyKate) October 18, 2022
