By Callum Ludwig
The flood recovery continues for residents and businesses in Yarra Junction.
The heavy rain on Thursday 28 October caused flash flooding that quickly rose to over a metre high, shifting cars and pouring into businesses on Warburton Highway.
Yarra Junction Medical Centre (YJMC) Practice Manager Alison Dajlan said they face a huge cleanup bill now.
“We’ve lost all of our flooring, had to cut plaster up to 300mm high and had to remove some insulation as well before you even consider the disruption to our services as well,” she said.
“When we heard about it we were absolutely shocked, it’s just heart-wrenching. To think we’d just built it back up again after having no doctors for a while, getting back on our feet and then this happens.”
Ms Dajlan arrived at the clinic at 10am and she and her husband immediately began to enact the emergency response plan.
Ms Dajlan said the event has caused a huge disservice and disruption to the community.
“People can’t afford to let their health go down with the clinic largely out of action, they need to keep on top of things. They need referrals, prescriptions and tests done. Doctors were all working from home providing Telehealth consults from 9am Friday morning,” she said.
“We’ve got industrial dryers in there, and a hygienist coming to report whether there is any mould or anything growing. Being in the health industry, we’ve got processes to take and it all takes time but we are hoping to be up and running again in the next week or two.”
Staff, family and patients came in Saturday 29 October to help remove the wet carpet and flooring to start the drying process and a special thanks were extended to Practice Manager Katrina Rolando at the Healesville Hospital GP clinic who rang the following day after the floods offering to see any of YJMC’s patients who needed to be seen physically.
The nearby Nancy’s of the Valley cafe was also struck hard by flooding, and owner Emily Davies said she was in the store when it all unfolded.
“We were under about a metre of water from back to front, we lost all of our stock and display products, pretty much all of our refrigeration and electronic equipment and waiting to hear some of our vintage furniture will have to be discarded,” she said.
“At this stage, we will not be able to trade out of this venue till at least the end of the year. We don’t know how long the repair and refit will take but hoping for the early stages of the New Year.”
The cafe had been without power during the day, and Ms Davies returned to the store to switch off the generator as power was restored when the flooding hit.
“I believe that there was a car accident in Launching Place where a car smashed into a pole and the power went out, just about the same time the power was being restored at about 8.30pm or 8.45pm, I noticed the water beginning to rise up next to my little Volkswagen T-Cross,” she said.
“I asked my hubby to go and move the car, and he jumped in but instead it going forward it began to float sideways and I told him to get out of the car so he didn’t end up like on those people on the news who get washed away in their cars.”
Flooding is still present in areas around Yarra Junction such as Corduroy Road. Exercise caution when around these areas and don’t drive through floodwaters.
