TALK about Lake Conjola flooding victims taking legal action against Shoalhaven City Council might seem strange to anyone whose homes were not inundated last week, but it is easy to understand their frustration.
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Pretty much every time there is a torrential downpour and flash flooding, government officials say there is no way they can cater for extreme events.
However these extreme events are happening with increasing regularity, and what was once considered an extreme event is now becoming commonplace.
The increasing frequency is pretty much in line with the predictions of climate scientists who have warned of more extreme weather and severe storms in coastal areas brought about by climate change.
This is nothing new; they have been warning of this for more than 20 years, yet the people responsible for planning and building infrastructure have been slow to respond.
Better drainage systems and infrastructure for handling stormwater are desperately needed, if there is not to be a greater toll from the expected storms and flash flooding.
Building codes might also need to be revisited, given the number of relatively new buildings that have been found to have leaking roofs in recent storms.
These are the sensible steps that really should have been taken before now.
However whether legal action is justified in this case might well have to be seen.
Virtually all actions local governments take are ruled, directed and overseen by other government bodies and agencies, and often these bodies are working at odds with local councils.
While it is easy to repeatedly point the finger of blame at Shoalhaven City Council in this instance, it is worth exploring whether council has delayed action of flood mitigation around Lake Conjola, or whether red tape and bureaucracy from other levels of government have delayed and frustrated plans to better protect the local area.
