General News
16 October, 2026
Flood fears
TWO Edge Hill households fear more floods this wet season because of what they say is a lack of maintenance and other issues in a drain beside their properties as well as at nearby Saltwater Creek.
For the past 10 years, Claudio Novello and Hilary Mauro have endured at least one major flooding event annually, with water entering their Torrance Avenue homes, rising insurance premiums after repeated claims and thousands of dollars spent on mitigation works.
Both households are under immense personal stress, wondering how far the water will rise and how badly affected their homes will become this wet season.
Mr Novello said he and his two teenage daughters had lived in Torrance Ave for 18 years. “For the first eight or so, it was normal – occasional high water after serious storms, nothing alarming,” he said.
“Then Cairns Regional Council changed which department looked after the creek and maintenance stopped completely for more than 10 years.
“No clearing vegetation, no checking banks, no desilting. Slowly but surely, the creek choked up, the banks started eroding and flooding became routine.
“Now we get water in the yard and even inside the house after just a day or two of rain – something that never happened before.”
“Over the past 12-plus months, we have repeatedly raised our concerns with Cairns Regional Council.
“Despite formal reports, site inspections, photographic evidence and independent engineering analysis – no remedial works have been carried out, no timeline has been provided and our homes remain unprotected as the 2026-27 wet season begins.”
Mr Novello said in summary:
Flooding now occurs during routine rainfall and high tides – not just major events
Creek embankments adjacent to properties are actively eroding and collapsing
Upstream drainage upgrades have proceeded with significant investment – yet the downstream area has been excluded from the Saltwater Creek resilience master plan
Promised inspections and action plans have been delayed – flood study completion is not expected until June 2027
Hundreds of photos, historical records and engineering reports provided to council – still no works
The households are seeking “fair and equitable treatment” – the same protection being delivered to other areas within the same catchment.
“Every time heavy rain is forecast, my kids start wondering even before going to bed whether they’ll wake up to water at the door or inside the house,” Mr Novello said.
“It's no longer just about heavy storms either – flooding now happens even with normal rainfall during an average wet season.
“Every time there is heavy rain, the kids come to me asking what we should do.
“Over the last couple of years, I've even built and put up temporary barriers across the front of the house, doing everything I possibly can to give my family some extra protection and peace of mind.
“It shouldn't be my job to defend my own home from a creek that council is meant to maintain, but I do it anyway, because keeping my kids safe is all that matters.
“The situation has been made worse by ongoing development up the hill in Edge Hill and throughout the catchment.
“Upstream and downstream developments have reduced the natural land that used to absorb and buffer water when it rained.
“All that extra run-off now flows straight into our small creek.
“Council has happily approved and taken development contributions from these projects, yet none of that money has been spent to improve our drainage or protect the homes downstream.
“Meanwhile, the creek at the end of our street remains completely choked and blocked – it simply can't carry the water anymore, so it overflows and that water ends up right at our doorstep and inside our homes.
“This year, with El Niño forecast to bring heavier rain and possibly cyclones, the outlook is worrying – and it's only predicted to get worse from here.”
Mr Novello said insurance cover was getting harder and more expensive.
“Premiums have jumped significantly because we're now considered a high-risk area, despite the flooding being entirely preventable with proper creek maintenance,” he said.
“Every claim costs us more in excess and higher premiums the following year.
“We feel trapped. We pay for protection, but the actual problem that keeps causing the damage is never fixed.
“My neighbour and I pay nearly $7000 a year in rates between us, yet basic creek maintenance hasn't happened in over a decade.
“We've paid out of pocket repeatedly: stripping out water-damaged floors, kitchen cabinetry, doors and disinfecting.
“Because floodwater is contaminated – ‘black water’ – that's unsafe to leave.”
Ms Mauro said she lived alone “so every high rainfall event or high tide is something to worry about”.
“Family members – my children – monitor the embankment and erosion with me. They have helped me find tradesmen to protect my home,” she said.
“I employed a water-proofer and had the inside and outside my home water-proofed and the blocks injected, costing $2800.
“I concreted the front and raised it at a cost of $10,000. I raised the lounge floor by 200mm at a cost of $6800
“I have ordered flood slides for the front and back doors.
“We have provided to Cairns Regional Council over 250 photos and videos, multiple emails, data reports, queries regarding the lack of drain maintenance, including the loss of embankment, mud and plant build-up on the other side (bridge club) and all the other rubbish, mud, debris and plants in the other parts of the drains.
“Everywhere else around the sports grounds, Stan Williams Park, Endeavour Park (which all used to be flood plains) is solid pathways, raised packed rock.
“We’ve had some email responses with limited information and mentions of ‘plans’ but nothing concrete or any action.”
Council Response
‘High tides cause of flooding’
CAIRNS Regional Council says “we understand the concerns of residents affected by flooding in the Torrance Avenue area and have undertaken extensive investigations into the causes of flooding and drainage performance”.
“Council officers have met with residents, responded to numerous inquiries and recently completed independent modelling of Saltwater Creek,” said a spokeswoman.
“The modelling confirmed flooding in this area is largely driven by the tidal nature of the creek,” she said.
“During high tides, stormwater has very limited ability to drain away, causing water to back up through parts of the catchment.
“While drainage improvements have been undertaken elsewhere in the catchment, options at Torrance Avenue are limited because high tides significantly reduce their effectiveness.
“The modelling also found that sediment build-up and mangrove islands upstream of Greenslopes Street are not significant contributors to flooding.
“Further, it confirmed that previous dredging of the creek destabilised the banks and delivered little benefit relative to the significant cost.
“Any future dredging works will be considered in line with the modelling's recommendations.
“Council continues to investigate improvements where they can make a difference.
“These include planned maintenance works to repair damaged drainage infrastructure and erosion, as well as modifications to the Mayers Street pedestrian bridge to improve water flow during rainfall events.”
