Residents demand action as Mundingburra flooding fears resurface after 2019 disaster

Residents living in the low-lying suburbs of Mundingburra and South Townsville are calling for urgent infrastructure investment after recent heavy rainfall exposed persistent drainage problems that continue to plague the area since the catastrophic 2019 floods.

The 2019 event devastated local streets including Sturt Street and Grangefield Road, with properties inundated and families displaced for months. Despite seven years of recovery efforts, community members say the underlying stormwater systems remain inadequate for the region's subtropical rainfall patterns.

"When we get heavy rain, water pools on Grangefield Road for days," said one long-time resident of the area, speaking on condition of anonymity. "The council keeps saying upgrades are coming, but we've heard that before."

The Townsville City Council approved a $145 million flood resilience strategy in 2021, yet residents report visible gaps in execution across vulnerable neighbourhoods. Local drainage on streets feeding into Bohle River remains undersized for the volume of water the region now experiences, according to residents familiar with council stormwater mapping.

At the Mundingburra Community Centre, located on Keating Street, organisers have fielded repeated inquiries from anxious residents about evacuation procedures ahead of the wet season. The venue itself served as an emergency relief hub during 2019, accommodating dozens of displaced families.

"People are still traumatised," explained a centre coordinator. "They want to know what's changed. And honestly, from what we can see in our neighbourhood, the answer isn't enough."

Townsville experiences an average annual rainfall of 1,150 millimetres, concentrated heavily between December and March. The 2019 disaster saw unprecedented precipitation that overwhelmed existing stormwater capacity, a risk town planners acknowledge could recur without substantial infrastructure upgrades.

Council representatives have pointed to completed works, including improved levees near Garbutt and enhanced pump stations at strategic points across the city. However, residents in Mundingburra say the focus has shifted away from their neighbourhoods toward other priority areas.

The issue intersects with Townsville's broader resilience agenda. As the region pursues hydrogen hub development and strengthens its role as a defence and economic hub, residents argue that basic flood protection cannot be overlooked.

A council spokesperson confirmed that additional drainage assessments for Mundingburra are scheduled to commence in the next financial year, with results expected by late 2027. Residents hope outcomes this time will translate into concrete action rather than further delay.

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