03-11-2022
Parts of the township of Gunning, including most of the main street, were underwater on Monday night as a severe storm event coupled with existing high water levels combined to produce what has been described as a once-in-a-lifetime weather event.
Parts of Yass Street and Warrataw Street along with other areas were underwater and several businesses and private premises were severely inundated.
It was initially indicated that 14 premises, including both businesses and dwellings, were significantly impacted but the community quickly flew into action.
Emergency Services personnel from State Emergency Services and Rural Fire Service, including local units and ones from further afield, joined with members of the community to start limiting inundation, removing water and cleaning up in the aftermath.
Mayor Pam Kensit visited the damaged areas on Tuesday with General Manager Colleen Worthy and Director of Infrastructure Leon Kruger and said she was stunned by the damage, and blown away by the response.
“This storm event has been simply devastating,” she said.
“Even the following morning the water inside the Telegraph Hotel was still up to my knee.
“But I am so thankful for the SES and RFS and members of the community who got straight to it and started to clean everything out immediately.”
Flooding photos: Anthony Lewis
Some of the recovery work has included pumping water out of cellars of several business houses, including one of the hardest hit, the Telegraph Hotel.
“At the Telegraph Hotel the RFS and SES got in and ripped out the carpet and got everything out that they could before they could remove some floorboards and pump from the cellars,” Mayor Kensit said.
“Cellars in other premises were also pumped out, and there was water under some other premises, like the Picture House where thankfully it didn’t infiltrate.”
Another of the hardest-hit businesses, along with the service station, was the Gunning Motel. Patrons of the Motel needed shelter instantly and the Gunning Shire Hall was nominated as the official evacuation centre. The call went out through the community for food, mattresses and blankets and the community responded swiftly.
“The whole community really has rallied… not just the amazing and tireless work of the SES and RFS, but also Lions club, Council’s outdoor staff, the crew at the Old Hume Café and all members of the community,” she said.
“In fact the Lions Club, who were there with their sleeves rolled up and helping out, didn’t escape unscathed. Their building was inundated but the response I got from one member was “that’s only a building, our priority at the moment is to keep people fed.”
Council has opened the Gunning Waste Transfer Centre each day since the flooding specifically for people to dispose of flood damaged items.
Federal Member for Hume Angus Taylor and State Member for Goulburn Wendy Tuckerman will meet with the Mayor and General Manager on Friday morning to see first-hand the damage of the flooding. Resilience NSW has also visited this week to assess how they can respond.
The biggest concern remains the well-being of two missing men, washed off the back of a truck at Prestons Creek, northwest of Bevendale.
“I can only imagine how the families and friends of these men must be feeling as they await word,” Mayor Kensit said.
“I saw the SES and RFS people coming back from the search. Vehicles couldn’t get into the search area and they’d gotten in by horse or helicopter. They’d covered 9km, trudging on foot and through really tough going. I thank them for their continued efforts and offer my thoughts to their loved ones.”
Throughout a week of damage, dislocation and distress, Mayor Kensit said there weren’t a lot of bright points but that one shining light was the community response.
“At such a horrible time, I was so inspired by the Gunning Community,” she said.
“I cannot thank all of the volunteers enough, including those that were called in from other places. Even though there’s a lot of work remaining to be done, they have already done the most amazing job of cleaning it all up.”
Next day photos: Various photographers