By Kath Gannaway
STEELS Creek residents recovering from the devastation of the Black Saturday bushfires are facing a new attack on the landscape – erosion.
Scott and Janet McLean lost their home in the fires which have also stripped bare the surrounding countryside.
On Saturday 14 March the torrential rains, which signalled the end of the bushfire threat and brought sighs of relief across much of the Yarra Valley, left the McLeans and their neighbour Linda Lyons with a black, raging mess which they say has the potential to pollute Steels Creek.
The McLeans’ property is on the high side of Steels Creek Road. Ms Lyons property is on the other side of the road, part of the Steels Creek river flats.
Mr McLean said the gully, which runs from the top of their property, feeds a dam at the bottom but with the vegetation burnt away the rain has turned it into a ravine which, in places, is 10 to 15 feet deep.
“Every year we have had heavy rains but the vegetation slowed it down and stopped it from being a problem.
“Now it’s getting to the stage where all the rain is just washing everything down and there’s nothing there to stop it,” he said.
Mr McLean said the problem is beyond anything they can cope with and is calling for help to deal with the erosion before it becomes an even bigger problem in winter.
They have contacted Melbourne Water and the Shire of Yarra Ranges but say something needs to be done quickly, and that they are not the only landowners who will face this problem during winter.
Ms Lyons said she had sent photos of the flooding to Melbourne Water and the Mail understands that a meeting was organised late last week for Melbourne Water to inspect the property this coming Wednesday.
“If this relatively small amount of rain can result in this horrendous damage, what will happen with heavier, more consistent rains,” Ms Lyons said.
Mr McLean said one of the problems they fact is that Melbourne Water’s grants policy relates only to properties which have stream frontage.
“I think the policy needs to be reviewed as a result of the bushfires,” he said.
“It’s clear that the main funnel of water from the hills behind us is flowing down our gully and into the waterways.”
Pointing to a film of black sludge remaining on Mr McLean’s dam, Ms Lyons said it was an indication of the potential for pollution of Steels Creek.
“This is what is going into Steels Creek and eventually in to the Yarra River,” she said.
“It is a huge problem which needs to be fixed.”
Cr Jeanette McRae, ward councillor for Steels Creek, said the shire had been working closely with the Department of Primary Industries to identify ways they could provide technical advice to affected landowners facing erosion problems and had been advocating on behalf of residents with Melbourne Water.
She said Steels Creek had been identified as one of the worst areas for erosion in the southern-complex bushfire area which takes in the Yarra Valley.
“There are two components to this.
“It’s one thing for us to be working with these bodies to get this sort of advice but we need to get funding from the government and the DPI and Melbourne Water to address this matter urgently so it doesn’t become a matter of too little, too late.
“This is more than just an effected landowner issue, obviously this has impacts on the whole area.”
Mrs McLean said the problem is much bigger than they can deal with.
“We are feeling quite desperate,” she said.
“I really don’t think that the type of landslip and erosion problems that result after a fire of this magnitude have been considered in the bushfire grants being made available to people.”
Mr McLean said they don’t have the capacity, expertise, equipment or funds to deal with something of the scale of the erosion they are now facing.