BY JEM ANSHAW
The days of Merton Street residents needing a canoe when there are significant amounts of rain are edging closer to being a thing of the past, with the drainage project upgrade on track to be completed in March 2025.
Last week Dan Repacholi, Federal member for Hunter, joined with Muswellbrook Shire Councillors Brett Woodruff and Amanda Barry to provide an update on the work.
“Two years ago Denman was in flood like the rest of the Hunter was and Merton Street and the Golden Highway were both affected by floods from those heavy, heavy downpours that we had in this area,” he shared.
“So what we’ve done the Albanese Labor Government as well as the Minns Labour Government, we’ve given 2.6 million dollars to Muswellbrook Council so they can help make sure that doesn’t happen, by putting in better drainage systems so that the water can be drained away to Sandy Creek to make sure the houses along Merton Street are really looked after, so that there’s no more flooding issues for those poor residents.
“I was talking to the butcher at the Chop Shop earlier today and he said it’s already made a bit of a difference with the heavy rains we’ve just recently had, they’ve already noticed the difference that they’re placed, so really looking forward to what this will bring later on once a job is completed in 2025.”
Cr Woodruff, who himself is a Denman resident, said the drainage issue on the eastern side of Palace Street has been an issue when there is significant rain for decades.
“Probably in the last 10 years we’ve been pushing towards this now, our fantastic staff have done all the legwork about the design and everything else and getting it ready to go out to tender so it’s really been a team effort,” he said.
“The residents in Merton Street are really looking forward to being able to have better services, driveways, all the great things that everybody else everywhere else shares, that’s really important, and they’ve been really patient and that’s been great as well.”
