Parra's big flood coming at last?

Here in Sydney we're in the middle of what could turn out to be the biggest rain event in a century. It's been raining heavily for a few days, and it's forecast to continue for at least another two. Several hundred millimetres will have been dumped. Some suburbs in the west are being evacuated.

 

My special interest is in Parramatta, and the amazing Loyalty Rd flood retention dam. I discovered it by accident a few years ago on a bushwalk. I wondered what this huge construction was doing there, straddling the tiny Darling Mills Creek.

It turned out that Darling Mills Creek, and also Toongabbie Creek , where there's a similar edifice, are not always that tiny. They are the main upper tributaries of the Parramatta River, and after big rain events they get to decide whether Parramatta, with all its new skyscrapers and alleged cultural attractions, get to be swept away downstream into Sydney Harbour or not.

It was a party atmosphere today at the Loyalty Rd retention dam! Every family and its dog (yes) turned up. And I thought I was the only one who knew about the thing. Click on the video above.

And still it hasn't overflowed. The water hasn't even got above the top of the bushwalkers' tunnel. That's when the dam starts to really earn its keep. It's never yet been required to. But I'll keep watching. One day it really will stop Parramatta ending up at Manly. Watch this space. I'll do another check on Tuesday if necessary.

 

Meanwhile, downstream in Parramatta, I checked out the site of the state government's proposed relocated Powerhouse Museum. One of the objections to the move was that the new site would be frequently underwater. Well, guess what? It's underwater today once again!

 

 

 

Any ideas, Gladys?

 

 

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I said that today could be even worse. Well, it was!

Climate crisis: it's real and it's now an existential threat

Ian Dunlop isn't everyone's idea of a militant grass roots environmental activist. And that's why he's so impressive. He's an engineer by training. He worked at senior levels for Royal Dutch Shell for over 30 years, in oil and gas exploration. He was Chair of the Australian Coal Association, and the CEO of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He's a member of several other professional and business associations, and he's currently a member of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes (UNSW), and a member of the Club of Rome.

Even with all those credentials, he finds it hard to get anything through to many of our politicians, who are still working very hard to avoid knowing much about the climate crisis we're now in.

"Climate change is an immediate risk requiring emergency action" he says.

I was privileged to sit through his presentation in Hornsby today. The gathering was convened by Greens local councillor Emma Heyde, who is leading the push to have Hornsby Council declare a climate emergency. There's a worldwide push going on for local council leadership in this regard, given that national and state governments (especially in Australia) have been so sadly lacking.

He tells it like it is. Things are extremely grim. We've wasted a decade and a half doing very little, and we're now at the point where we can afford to release approximately zero more carbon emissions ever, if we're to retain a liveable planet and a functioning civilisation.

More here:  Guardian article
and here: SMH article