Premier in Renmark for ‘peak river’ announcement

THE SA Premier travelled to Renmark today to drop three significant pieces of news, including that the River Murray flood has officially peaked in the town.

Peter Malinauskas flew over Lake Bonney to inspect the receding algae blooms, before landing in Renmark for a media conference, flanked by the local mayors, then heading to Berri.

“The good news is that the peak has now occurred here at Renmark,” Mr Malinauskas said.

“We’ve had five consecutive days where the flows coming across the border have actually declined and overnight we saw the water level here at Renmark drop for the first time in a long time.

“That’s a trend that we expect to continue over the coming days. As the peak makes its way slowly but gradually down the river, that will present challenges for (some) communities, but relief for others.”

Mr Malinauskas also said Renmark levees were “performing well” and keeping the town operating as close to normal as possible.

“They continue to be monitored on an active basis but as they continue to function in the way that we hope, a lot of homes (and) a lot of businesses have been protected,” he said.

“That means the town continues to thrive and very much welcomes visitors from throughout the state and around the broader country.”

Concerns about the blocking of Lake Bonney and the banning of leisure activities on the river were also acknowledged, via news that another Emergency Management Cabinet Committee meeting tomorrow could shed light on when the restrictions could be lifted.

“At that meeting we will be discussing what the timing will be around lifting those restrictions for water activity…as the peak starts to flow through,” Mr Malinauskas said.

“We want to apply as much flexibility as we can, without confusing the message around what is safe to do on the river and when it’s safe to do it.

“We want to turn our mind as quickly as we can to lifting some of those restrictions to allow on-water (activities) to occur to as quickly as we possibly can.”

Mr Malinauskas praised the local mayors, Ella Winnall (Berri Barmera), Trevor Norton (Loxton Waikerie) and Peter Hunter (Renmark Paringa), for their “leadership” throughout the flood crisis.

He also fielded a question on Lake Bonney from Barmera resident Barry Fletcher, who was concerned about mixed messaging about the lake’s safety for recreational activities.

$10,000 grants for business downturns

Meanwhile the SA government yesterday announced it would offer $10,000 grants to small businesses, farm enterprises and not-for profit organisations in River Murray communities to help them trade through challenging economic circumstances caused by the floods.
The Small Business Industry Support Grants will be payable to businesses with fewer than 30 full-time employees.
To be eligible, a business must demonstrate a revenue decline of 30 per cent or more over a relevant three-month period (either October to December 2022, or January to March 2023), compared to the same three-month period in the previous year.
However, the Small Business Industry Support Grants will only be available to those businesses who have not been approved for, or received, the Early Business Closure Grant.
“Businesses will be able to use the money as they see fit, including on utilities, wages and rent, seeking financial advice and improving the business to make it more resilient to future natural disasters,” the government said in a media statement.