Upper Colo residents “fairing surprisingly well” as flood waters rise across our river system

There’s all too often a focus on Richmond and Windsor during any natural disaster, especially when it comes to floods and bridges being closed, which is understandable, but it’s also important to remember our more remote regions too – including the Upper Colo area – where people often have to fight to be heard.

“The little river had very sweet white sand beaches this morning and was about knee height,” says Upper Colo resident Alice Voigt. Picture taken at 4pm Sunday

Those folks had to take to social media at the end of May in a last desperate bid to get Hawkesbury Council to listen and to carry out basic repairs on the main road in and out of their area.

They lost the Upper Colo bridge too, over a year ago, and it’s not been replaced, though work is underway at last.

We asked some residents today how they were coping with the emerging flood emergency.

“We have been fairing surprising well today,” resident Alice Voigt said early this evening.

During the last floods, a mere three months ago, Ms Voigt and her family had to abandon their home for fear of it being flooded and stay with neighbours. If the river had risen much more they faced trekking up the mountainside in the dark with their livestock, children and dogs. Thankfully it didn’t come to that.

“The river only started rising around lunchtime today as the big rivers have backed up,” Ms Voigt told the Post this evening.

“Hopefully the night brings good news but I don’t think it will.”

They are nothing if not resilient at Upper Colo – they have to be with very few services or help – so they’ve just implemented a Warden system in the valley.

“It’s to ensure the safety of all residents and improve communication during events like this, so we will see how that goes over the next few days,” Ms Voigt said.

As part of that they’ve also set up the Upper Colo Association to liaise with Council and other bodies in a bid to get heard and to get action on issues in their backyard.

So spare a thought for them this evening as river levels rise across the Hawkesbury, but know they will do what they always do and take care of each other.

We’ll talk to them tomorrow too and see how they are going.

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