[The Canberra Times 11 Dec 2010] --The ACT Government has conceded that
willow removal programs in the 1990s may have contributed to the havoc caused by
flooding across the region, but says the onus was on landowners to remove the
destructive remains. The willow removal program poisoned and cut down
willow trees on properties in the Tharwa region, as well as at several locations
around Canberra. But many of the poisoned trees were left lying on properties
for over a decade, and owner of the Tharwa General Store and unofficial mayor of
Tharwa Val Jeffrey claims that these trees were swept from nearby riverbanks and
low-lying land into waterways during this week's floods.
Mr Jeffrey said that debris from the poisoned willows had eventually piled up
at bridges causing extensive damage, particularly at the Smiths Road Bridge over
the Gugenby River, just south of Tharwa.
''We kept telling them what the results were going to be,'' Mr Jeffrey said.
''This stuff piled up on the Gugenby bridge here, bigger than my house in the
first flood a month ago, and that's what weakened everything.
''It moved the bridge a bit, parts of the bridge, went back, slipped back in
place, but then, of course, when the next floods came, the stuff piled up again
and away it went.''
The destruction of the Gugenby bridge left many residents south of Tharwa
partially stranded, with access to properties severely restricted.
Mr Jeffrey said that the poisoned willow trees should have been completely
removed from properties by the ACT Government.
But a spokeswoman for the Department of Territory and Municipal Services said
yesterday that the original agreement during the 1990s willow removal program
was that landholders were responsible for clearing out debris and felled trees
on their properties.
''The ACT Government poisoned willow species in this vicinity in the late
1990s after the willow species was declared an invasive weed and with the
agreement of rural landholders,'' the spokeswoman said.
''It was agreed the rural landholders would remove the debris but
unfortunately not all of them complied with that understanding.
''Unfortunate ly, the build up of the willow debris and the volume of water
flowing under the [Gugenby] bridge after the recent storms appear to have been
contributing factors to the destruction of the bridge.''
Roads ACT said it was developing options to manage the damage at the Gugenby
bridge, and would be discussing these options with community representatives
next week.
''The options being considered include the provisions of a temporary bridge
at Smiths Road while the existing bridge is being reconstructed,'' a spokeswoman
said.
''Or an upgrade of one of the existing low-level crossings.''
Mr Jeffrey criticised Roads ACT for not preparing for the loss of the Gugenby
bridge earlier, arguing that temporary crossings should have been set up
immediately.