Residents shocked by one dam huge threat

Class action looms as Copperlode flood zone revealed to homeowners

A POTENTIAL class action lawsuit is brewing against Cairns Regional Council with Redlynch homeowners up in arms after discovering they live in a Copperlode Dam flood zone.

Gavin Hamilton Cl resident Steven Dean has been in talks with lawyers after being sent a letter from the council outlining plans to build eight 20mtall flood early warning systems equipped with sirens along the valley.

He believes the value of his home and hundreds of others will be slashed, not just from the area’s visual amenity being damaged by towers but the flood risk he was not warned about when he bought his home 13 years ago.

“Nobody told me about it even though they’ve known since 1998,” he said.

Mr Dean said the annual cost of fully insuring his home and contents has risen from $800 a decade ago to $6500.

He has had to underinsure his property to get the annual price down to about $3000.

“When questioning the insurer, they said it was because we’re now in a flood zone,” he said. “I thought, well I’m on a hill about eight houses up from the main drag in the valley – if I flood, Cairns is in big trouble.

“I didn’t realise they were referring to the flooding of Copperlode Dam.”

Mr Dean said he had taken all proper risk assessment steps when he bought his land and built his house but was kept in the dark about flooding.

“But with this, I suspect more than 50 per cent of houses in the valley would be under if it happened,” he said.

“They’ve gone and changed the goalposts.

“I purchased 13 years ago, and they knew back in 1998.

“I’ve had to choose between fully insuring my house, or giving my kids health insurance.”

Division 6 Cr Linda Cooper said the flood risk had not changed, and they would show up on any proper searches carried out by conveyancers.

She said the council was working with residents to move the towers further away from homes where possible.

“He’s right, we haven’t gone out and said anything because this is actually the first part of our consultation phase before it has to start being rolled out,” she said. “I’m more than happy for people to contact me about any concerns they have.”

A letter to residents said the early warning system was a requirement of state legislation, and that its existence did not imply increased flood risk.

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