Parra News 30 March 2021

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Tuesday, March 30, 2021
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Editor’s Note
troy.dodds@parranews.com.au
Troy Dodds
@troydodds
Eels, Panthers leading the way
How good is it to see western Sydney
dominating the NRL so far this year?
While nobody wins competitions in
April, the fact that Penrith and Parramatta
share the competition lead can only be
a good thing for the game, especially as it
comes out of its COVID-19 season.
Both clubs have looked strong in their
opening three matches, and it wouldn’t
surprise anyone if they ultimately met
on the first Sunday of October at Stadium
Australia.
Get out and see a game this year – we’re
living in rare times where both greater
western Sydney clubs are doing well.
Issue 19
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We must reconnect with river
Index
News..............................................1-19
Autism Awareness.......20-22
The rains have gone and Sydney’s autumn
sunshine has returned. But as residents
in flood-ravaged regions such as
the Hawkesbury pick up the pieces, this
month’s downpour will also live on in infamy
here in Parramatta.
While we escaped the worst, few who
saw it will forget the river breaking its
banks, submerging the Charles Street
ferry wharf.
It’s a reminder that floods have always
been a part of low-lying Parramatta’s history.
Despite limited data, major floods were
recorded in the Lower Parramatta River
as early as 1889 and 1914. But our vulnerability
is also fed by dozens of tributary
creeks, each of which can flood suddenly
due to localised storms or persistent
heavy rainfall.
Chief among these is Toongabbie Creek,
which sends fresh river water flows east.
In August 1986, Toongabbie was savaged
by a two-day rainfall event which left the
area unpassable. This led to flood gates
being installed on Oakes Road at a bridge
notorious for cars getting washed away.
The original Indigenous owners had a
special relationship with the river, using
it as a place to gather, trade, share stories
and spear fish for feasts. In the local Burramattagal
language, Parramatta’s name
literally means “place of the eels”.
When the colonial settlers explored upstream
in search of more fertile terrain
than Sydney Cove, they not only found
Parramatta but established Toongabbie
(roughly translated as “place by the water”)
as a third government farm and convict
station to grow food.
Today, Parramatta must deal with the
challenges of high density development
and climate change that will make extreme
weather events more frequent. So
perhaps it’s time our relationship with
the river renewed.
A good start would be to heed the warning
from George Jeoffreys, a senior State
Emergency Service official. Two years
ago, he told the Sydney Morning Herald
that if a severe weather super cell developed
around the Parramatta CBD, buildings
could be overwhelmed by flash flood
in nine minutes. Emergency services
workers might have to evacuate people
“faced with one-to-two storeys of fastflowing
floodwater”.
Of course, flood mitigation is not only
essential for shops and apartment towers.
It’s also become necessary to safely
build the Powerhouse Parramatta in its
present location – adding significantly to
Entertainment ..................23-33
Business Directory.......34-36
costs while still leaving a risk of damage
to exhibits (and damage to heritage).
A second way we could live more sensitively
and in harmony with our river is by
making it swimmable. Before areas like
Camellia and Homebush Bay became an
open drain for industry, the Parramatta
River used to be one of Sydney’s legendary
cooling off spots. For residents living
an hour away from the nearest beach, it
needs to be so again.
Much progress has been made in recent
years. Yet without further intervention,
sewerage overflows and chemical run-off
from building sites will see the river degrade.
Finally, who could disagree that Parramatta,
expanding rapidly around its
river, needs a newfound focus on water
safety targeted particularly at the
city’s migrant populations? I write this
in the wake of the heartbreaking death
of 25-year-old Ayaz Younus, a Pakistani
national, trapped in his car amidst rising
floodwaters.
Learning to swim is a way we can all respect
our natural environment. Our rivers
can be treacherous. They take life.
For all the kids growing up today, let’s
do better to ensure our rivers sustain life
too.
Auto...................................................37
Sport .......................................38-40
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