As the sections of the levee bank are owned and maintained by the State Government, the project is being managed by New South Wales Public Works with $600,000 in funding coming from the Natural Disaster Relief Program.

Department of Public Works project officer Tony McGlynn said that there are eight sections in the repairs with 30metres in each section.

“The slope will be reduced by excavation works, then a drainage blanket will be placed, pebble rock will go on top of that, then large rocks will be laid with sand, soil and turf finishing it off,” he told The Singleton Argus yesterday.

“The purpose of the work is to ensure that next time a flood comes through, it is only the top layers of turf and soil that will be removed.

“Stage two also includes the strengthening of the base of the Dunolly Bridge support piers to prevent damage from the large trees that are washed through during floods.”

Mr McGlynn said that the main aim is to protect the land especially because parts are privately owned.

This final stage in works has been a long time coming with funding for the works announced in February 2008 and the first stage of the works conducted in 2009.

During the remediation work, Mr McGlynn said that native plants will be left and protected with blanketing. Introduced species will be removed and if any trees do not survive they will be replaced.

The contract for the work was tendered and is being carried out by Wickham based company Gleeson Civil. Materials for the levee are being obtained from Quarry Products at Allendale Quarry.

The project is expected to take 14 weeks.

The works are being funded by the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water and the Hunter Central Rivers Catchment Management Authority.