2022 Floods
Heavy machines work to save Maclean levee bank

Heavy machines work to save Maclean levee bank
The big guns have been brought in to work on a section of the levee wall at Maclean that is keeping the swollen Clarence River out of the town streets.
Engineers have been worried a section of the levee wall near the Bottom Pub between Howard and Union streets has become compromised.
Onlookers say the machines have been dumping gravel onto the levee bank, which has held up until early this afternoon.
But emergency services have taken no chances and the lower sections of the town, including the CBD has been evacuated.
The office of local MP for Clarence, Chris Gulaptis, said the staff at the IGA supermarket, which is next to the levee bank has left work and the SES is taking its orders.
A spokesperson said the river levels had fallen, but the river was still high enough to flood the town if the levee wall failed.
Maclean resident Norman Gray said he had gone to the supermarket for some milk and eggs when he heard the levee was in trouble.
“We thought there would be some sandbagging needed, so I called my wife to pick up the milk and eggs and stayed to help,” he said.
“We waited around for about three hours and these big trucks started bringing in loads of gravel and excavators were spreading it around and packing it down.
Mr Gray said he could see water bubbling up through the ground across the road from Moran’s Service Centre.
“It’s a piece of flood infrastructure in an urban setting,” he said. “It’s absolutely saturated by the rain and if there’s weak points, the water will find them.
“You just can’t say for sure where the water’s going.”
He said the authorities must have been worried because about 30 fire trucks turned up at the scene while he was watching.
“They were probably there for their pumps, if water started to get in,” he said.
“But they wouldn’t have been able to do anything if the levee had gone.”
Mr Gray said the flood height had fallen about 200mm since the morning, but there would still be a lot of pressure on the levee.
“I’ve got my toes and fingers and everything crossed that it holds,” he said.
Earlier:
Evacuation ordered
A door to door evacuation call is underway in Maclean because of fears the levee wall between Union and Howard streets could fail.
Engineers said the wall could be compromised and if it failed it would cause large scale inundation of the town.
It is believed SES volunteers are at the site now attempting for fill a crack in the levee.
The SES has also been going door to door in the CBD warning business owners of the danger and urging them to leave.
Clarence Valley Council said Maclean residents prepare yourself, animals/ livestock and property.
Act now and be prepared.
An evacuation Centre is open in Maclean Showground.
More to come.
Photos supplied by Norman Gray
Photo Captions
Water has found a way through the levee bank at Maclean. Clarence Valley Council heavy machinery has piled gravel onto the weak spot and packed it down. Photos supplied by Norman Gray
An excavator has been used to pack down gravel piled onto a section of the levee bank at Maclean that is leaking. Photos supplied by Norman Gray
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