The vast and intricate system of drains, weirs and crossings that supports South Australia's agricultural industry is crumbling due to a dire lack of State Government funding, the Civil Contractors Federation SA says.
The South Eastern Water Conservation and Drainage system, sections of which dates back to 1862, is hailed as one of the state's most iconic engineering feats and the lifeline of one's SA's richest agricultural regions.
According to The Advertiser, Primary Industries and Regions South Australia calculate that the system has boosted agricultural production by 500 to 1000%.
The network, which includes 2589km of drains and 307 bridges, drains the area’s low-lying floodplains, which have an annual average rainfall of 712mm in places.
In the June edition of Earthmover and Civil Contractor magazine, Civil Contractors Federation (CCF) SA CEO Phil Sutherland said the group recently conducted a preliminary audit of the system and found its infrastructure is largely degraded and in extremely poor condition.
"Many of its 300-plus bridges are in dire condition and are unlikely to meet current safety standards, which potentially put people's lives at risk," Sutherland says.
The South Eastern Water Conservation and Drainage Board receives a $2.2 million annual allocation from the SA Government to maintain the system – a figure CCF SA describes as "grossly insufficient".
The CCF SA is calling on the SA Government to give the Drainage Board the appropriate funding it needs to implement a preventative asset management program.
"The CCF assessment is a minimum annual budget of at least $4 million is required to keep pace with the drainage infrastructure, so vital to the regional economy," Sutherland says.
"Much of the drainage infrastructure – including bridges – straddles private farming properties which depend on the serviceability of the infrastructure to operate their farms and vineyards.
"The state of the current drainage system infrastructure is acting like a handbrake on the regional economy and needs urgent attention. That responsibility lies with the State Government and the CCF SA urges them to action."
A South Eastern Water Conservation and Drainage Board report to the State Government warned the consequences of the system’s disrepair include an increasing risk to travellers.
It said 145 bridges and 118 culvert crossings were in poor or very poor condition and it would cost close to $20 million to lift them to an acceptable standard, the Advertiser reports.
In response to a 2014 community panel that found the $2.2 million currently spent on maintenance work was insufficient, the SA Government said it would work with the community to determine how that additional cost could be recovered from the network’s beneficiaries.