New milestone in levee project

A major milestone in the construction of Wagga Wagga’s $23M levee bank upgrade project was achieved this week with the last of the sheetpiling works now completed.

Stage 2 of the upgrade includes six kilometres of levee bank of which almost two kilometres required sheetpiling work. This finished work now brings the Main City Levee to a 1 in 100 year level of protection against flooding.

Council’s Director Commercial Operations Caroline Angel said there are still finishing-off works to complete – such as floodgates, walking trails, handrails and access points – and there is the possibility sections of the levee will be open to the public prior to Christmas.

“The next section to be opened will be between Hammond Avenue and Mason Street, and depending on how construction progresses, there may be other sections that can be made accessible for public use,” Ms Angel said.

“Sheetpiling occurs where there is limited space on the existing levee and not enough room to use earth to raise the height of the levee.

“This is a significant milestone in this major project for the city. It was a complex exercise to co-ordinate the sheetpiling along this stretch of the levee, but it is now completed and we have achieved an outstanding result with the new height on the Main City Levee now achieved.

“We would like to thank the community for its continued support and understanding as Council undertakes this major project. The outcomes will mean the levee bank provides a 1 in 100 year level of protection against flooding.”

The sheetpiling process involved driving steel sheets approximately 2.7m into the ground to create a wall along the levee bank that is approximately one metre high.

Designated access points have been incorporated into the sheetpiling design to enable access to the riverside.

The wall will be capped with aerated concrete blocks. Council has worked with a local artist to design an artwork to be installed along sections of the capping.

“This section of levee bank is highly visible to the public are we are pleased with the aesthetics of the sheetpiling and how it fits with the natural environment,” Ms Angel said.

“Most importantly, however, is the job it was built to do in the event of a major flooding event. Providing the city with 1 in 100 year flood protection is quite literally taking this piece of important infrastructure to a whole new level.

“Strengthening the levee system gives peace-of-mind assurance by safeguarding the entire central business district, many of the city’s critical assets and thousands of homes.”

The upgrade of the Murrumbidgee River levee system in Wagga Wagga started in 2017 with Stage 2 starting in 2019.

The first section of Stage 2, from 100 metres north of Wiradjuri Bridge to the Wagga Beach/Johnston Street, was completed in October and coincided with the opening of the Levee Link shared pathway.

The $23M project for Stage 1 and Stage 2 includes contributions from Wagga City Council ($7.75M), the State Government ($4.1M) and the Federal Government ($10M).

Pictured above: Inspecting the sheetpiling work along the levee bank adjacent to Tarcutta Street is (from left) Council’s Director Commercial Operations Caroline Angel, Manager Council Business Darryl Woods, Site Manager Toby Daniel and Wagga Wagga Mayor Cr Greg Conkey OAM.