Victor Harbor, 24 September 2025
Council Watch Fleurieu Inc. is deeply concerned by the response given by Mayor Moira Jenkins at Monday night’s City of Victor Harbor Council meeting (22 September 2025), when former Councillor Peter Charles asked why the intent of his 23 November 2020 resolution on floodplain safety has not been fully carried out.
What Was Asked
Mr Charles, speaking from the gallery on behalf of Council Watch, asked:
- What actions has Council taken to comply with the 2020 resolution regarding the Victor Harbor Watercourses Floodplain Mapping Study?
- Specifically, have all residents identified as being at risk of inundation in the Southfront report been directly notified?
- Has a local flood emergency plan been prepared with emergency services, as originally intended?
What Was Answered
Mayor Jenkins replied that the 2020 motion was “withdrawn” and replaced with a weaker resolution for “consultation and education.” She cited a public information session in July 2024, letters to Stock Road residents, and staff training with SES as examples of action taken.
However, she did not confirm that all residents in mapped flood risk zones were ever directly contacted. Instead, responsibility was shifted to residents being “informed” via public sessions and online reports.
Why This Falls Short
Council Watch maintains that:
- Intent Ignored: The original 2020 resolution called for direct notification of at-risk residents and a local emergency flood plan. Neither has been delivered.
- Selective Action: Only Stock Road residents were written to, leaving other households identified by Southfront uninformed.
- Pattern of Avoidance: By disputing whether the 2020 motion was withdrawn, the Mayor sidestepped the real question: why hasn’t Council met its duty of care to inform and protect all residents in danger zones?
- Public Safety Risk: Relying on websites and information sessions is no substitute for directly alerting families whose homes are at risk of flooding.
- Tone Matters: Rather than engaging with the substance of the question, the Mayor’s response was delivered in a tone that many in the gallery found defensive and dismissive.
Council Watch Calls for Action
Council Watch Fleurieu Inc. urges the City of Victor Harbor to:
- Disclose in writing exactly which residents have been contacted since 2020.
- Fulfil the intent of the 2020 motion by personally notifying all households within the mapped floodplain.
- Develop a proper local flood emergency plan in collaboration with SES and other agencies.
- Stop using procedural arguments to avoid addressing the Crozier Hill floodplain danger.
Quote
“Council has had nearly five years since the 2020 motion, and almost nine years since the floodplain questions were first raised in 2016. Yet residents remain uninformed and unprotected. Flood safety is not optional. It is a duty of care.” – Council Watch Fleurieu Inc.
Council Watch Fleurieu Inc.
Terry Andrews (Former Councillor, City of Victor Harbor)
PO Box 1753, Victor Harbor, South Australia 5211
Email: councilwatch44@gmail.com
Council Watch Victor Harbor 