Veteran Penrith City Councillor and Llandilo resident Kevin Crameri is frustrated at the lack of work being done to fix drainage issues in the area.
Crameri points to a culvert and dam located on Fifth Avenue in Llandilo which, at times, overflows across the roads and has led to residents in the area being flooded on multiple occasions.
At last week’s Council meeting, Crameri put forward a notice of motion asking to have a report prepared regarding the drainage issues.
“[I ask] that we have an urgent report to Council on the Llandilo drainage to include why it has taken over two years and two months and nothing has been done, not one shovel of dirt removed, yet some people have been flooded five times,” Crameri said.
“[I ask] that Council urgently investigate the dam on the corner of Eighth and Second Avenue to see why water can’t get through.”
In response to Crameri’s motion, Council said that a peer review is currently being conducted into the issues.
“Council officers have met with Councillor Crameri OAM several times concerning the Llandilo Drainage Audit,” Council said.
“Most recently Council staff have provided an update with respect to a peer review which is being conducted on Fifth Avenue culvert assessment to ensure the best possible outcome is achieved moving forward. The review will also consider the Eighth and Second Avenue Dam.”
The peer review is expected to be finalised and reported to Council by the end of July.
Crameri believes the overflowing dam on Fifth Avenue is partly the result of a series of drains along Eighth and Second Avenue, saying these are causing increased flow in the dam.
“When the water gets up to these pipes here [on Fifth Avenue] and then it flows out and around that road, it’s banked the water up inside here to the top of those pipes,” Crameri said.
“So, the houses over on the next road and the next road all get flooded because this rises a metre over the normal level.
“It (water) can’t get [through] here quick enough, it shoots out through these pipes, so then it has to go over the road.”
Crameri would like to see the drainage fixed.
“I want them (Council) to either make the top of this [road] level so the water can flow over the road or put in a couple more big pipes on this side,” Crameri said.
