News

Heavy rain confirms drainage issues

By Lua Ikenasio

Mar 5, 2026

Echuca west residents Jill and John Graham awoke on Monday morning to find part of their backyard had sunk following heavy rain on Sunday, March 1.

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The Cleary St couple said they had long feared damage to their property after earthworks were completed last year for the Yallarah development at the rear of their home.

The works had created a slope towards the rear fences of neighbouring homes, raising concerns among residents about stormwater runoff.

Residents were assured the site had been engineered to drain into a wetland, and a trench was later dug behind their fences in an attempt to redirect water away from the properties.

However, residents’ fears were realised when 69.9mm of rain fell on Sunday, March 1, followed by a further 29mm on Monday — the highest rainfall recorded in Echuca in more than a year.

Runoff water seeped into the Grahams’ garden as the earth sunk on the other side of the fence. Photo: Supplied.

The downpour caused soil behind the Grahams’ property to subside, pulling down part of their fence and garden bed.

Mrs Graham was in tears when she surveyed the damage to her garden the following morning.

“I just put all this garden bed in after they finished (installing the sewer pipe) and they assured me everything was hunky-dory,” she said.

“I’m proud of my garden and ... it’s just ruined.”

She added that residents had raised concerns with both the developer and Campaspe Shire Council more than six months ago.

“We'd pointed it out to them, and I've (sent) numerous emails and letters and God knows what. I said, it's going to happen when we get rain,” she said.

“The whole street was up in arms because we saw this (trench) and, you know, the water's got nowhere to go. We said we need drainage.

“They said we'll just have to wait and see, send us photos if it happens — well, I've sent them photos all right.”

Runoff from the rain pooled behind the Graham’s fence.

Since the rain, the Grahams have contacted council and Wel.co, the developer behind Yallarah.

Council acting director of infrastructure Mark Dibsdale said the damage was caused by the soil around a deep sewer trench giving way.

“Following an investigation on Tuesday morning, significant subsidence was found within the recently developed estate due to a deep sewer trench settling after the rain,” he said.

“This resulted in subsidence to an existing residential fence. Conversations have been held with the developers, and rectification works will be co-ordinated by the developers’ contractors.”

Large deep cracks have formed in the Grahams’ garden where the earth has shifted. Photo by Lua Ikenasio

Wel.co chief operating officer Clare Tayt reiterated that all works at Yallarah had been delivered in accordance with approved engineering requirements.

“All civil works and earthworks at Yallarah were undertaken in accordance with engineering plans approved by Campaspe Shire Council and the relevant authorities,” she said.

“These works were constructed, inspected and certified in line with those approved designs.”

Ms Tayt added that the company had been in contact with affected residents following the recent incident.

“We have been in communication with the neighbouring residents ... and will continue to do so,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Grahams have been left with damage to their fence, garden and sprinkler system, and will need to carry out urgent maintenance to their pool pump after their pool shed shifted during the subsidence.