All access to the Barwon River in Geelong is currently closed due to public health and safety concerns.
On Thursday November 17, Maritime Safety Victoria issued an exclusion zone declaration prohibiting all public access to the Barwon River between the elongation of Orana Road, Highton, and the Lower Breakwater (at Reedy Lake, Moolap) effective until noon December 17.
The Barwon River has been above minor flood level for prolonged periods over the last two months. The river is back at the minor flood level over 2.3 metres and rising.
To protect the public, all access to the river is currently closed. The Corangamite CMA asks the public to please avoid accessing the river and not to attempt to use walking and cycling tracks, public reserves, and recreational areas around the river until water recedes and the area can be cleaned up.
The Barwon River catchment and upper tributaries have experienced much higher than average rainfall over the past couple of months. The Upper Barwon, Leigh and Moorabool Rivers all flow into the Barwon River through Geelong. Gauges in Forrest, Ballarat, Meredith, and Ballan all measured record highs for October rainfall. The river in Geelong has repeatedly reached moderate flood levels over the past few weeks, and last week the Bureau of Meteorology has issued another moderate flood warning for the Barwon River.
There has been some community concern around bacteria within the waterway. The Corangamite CMA are currently testing for enterococci, which is a microbial indicator for recreational water quality under the National Health and Medical Research Council Guidelines for Managing Risks in Recreational Water (2008). We will advise the public when it is safe to open the river for recreational use.
The prolonged and repeated inundation has impacted the safety of the river side recreational areas (walking tracks, cycling tracks, platforms, landings, access roads and carparks). Until the area dries out completely, restoration works to ensure the area is safe for community access cannot commence.
The Corangamite CMA understands that the Barwon River is an important recreational corridor for the local community and will be working as quickly as possible to restore safe access when flood waters recede.
The Corangamite CMA reminds all river users of the current Vic Emergency message – Floodwater is dangerous. Stay safe by never entering floodwater.
