Toowoomba council pushes ahead with flood detention basin plans - ABC Local

Posted February 17, 2014 13:35:56

The Toowoomba Regional Council says the construction of a flood detention basin in the city's south is essential to protect the area from flooding.

About 400 trees are expected to be removed from Garnet Lehmann Park as part of construction.

Residents yesterday held a rally in the park in protest over the redevelopment.

Mayor Paul Antonio says it is a necessary piece of infrastructure.

"I don't want to have to be blamed in 10 years' time for someone else losing their life further down because we haven't done the kind of things we've done," he said.

"The clear facts are that a 76-megalitre detention basin there will have a significant impact on the availability on the crossings below that in a one-in-100-year flood."

Councillor Antonio says council will try to minimise the impacts.

"Council has made a very clear decision that we are building the Garnet Lehmann Park Detention Basin," he said.

"We will work closely with the community there to make absolutely sure that we get as much benefit to them as possible.

"We will try to preserve as many trees as we humanly can but the Garnet Lehmann Park [detention basin] will happen."

Topics: floods, urban-development-and-planning, emergency-planning, local-government, toowoomba-4350