Vic: Rivers rise on two fronts

AAP General News (Australia)
08-23-2001
Vic: Rivers rise on two fronts

MELBOURNE, Aug 23 AAP - Rising rivers on both sides of the state have cut off parts
of regional Victoria after days of constant rain.

The fishing community of Tarwin Lower, in the south-east, is still isolated from the
rest of Victoria after the Tarwin River burst its banks on Tuesday night.

On the other side of the state, a Geelong suburb was flooded when the Barwon River
overflowed after rising by 40 cm last night.

Several hundred people have been cut off in Tarwin Lower after torrential rain spilled
on to the town's main road - the only route out of the town.

The floods - compounded by winds keeping the tide in - have forced the cancellation
of school, buses and food deliveries, after the Gippsland region received about 150 mm
of rain over the past week.

In Geelong, the Barwon spilled over Breakwater Road, in the city's southern suburbs,
causing minor flooding.

A Barwon Water spokesman said the river had risen dramatically overnight after higher
waters flowed east from the head of the river in the Otway region, which has also experienced
heavy rains in the past week.

Despite the wet weather, one Melbourne water company today warned that water restrictions
were still planned this spring.

South East Water managing director Russell Cooper said he was concerned Melburnians
might think the recent rains would solve water shortages.

"We are advising our customers that water storages require years to recover from a
drought, not weeks, and that we must maintain our effort to reduce water consumption,"

he said.

AAP ac/clr/cjh

KEYWORD: FLOODS VIC

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