WHEN John and Dianne Bertram saw massive gum trees collapse into the raging waters of Black Fellow Creek during the floods of January 2013, they knew they were watching an environmental disaster unfold.
The Bertrams' 75-hectare high-value irrigation property Half Mile, which runs adjacent to the Black Fellow Creek 25 kilometres south of Gatton, was changed forever by the floods, with 7ha of prime creek flats washed bare of their topsoil and left riddled with sediment and rock.
A beef-breeding specialist well known in the northern beef industry for his work on bull selection, John Bertram says the damage would be easier to bear if he knew it was an act of Mother Nature.
But Mr Bertram believes much of the blame for the extensive damage rests with the Department of Transport and Main Roads, and their construction of low-level crossings in Black Fellow Creek that acted as virtual dam banks during the flood.
John Bertram said the low-level creek crossings created a virtual dam bank that forced the water out onto prime agricultural land.
The crossings were installed by RoadTek during 2012 to replace low-level 'in-bed' concrete crossings previously on the floor of the creek.
The new crossings were constructed by joining culverts, side-by-side, with at least one crossing featuring 10 culverts in all, and solid concrete approaches making a secure dam wall connecting both banks of the creek.
"The water had nowhere to go and it caused an avulsion that just ripped the guts out of our place."
"On that particular crossing, there are 11 vertical uprights across the middle of the creek, including the ends," Mr Bertram said.
"Unlike a bridge, which would have a pier in the middle and be supported at either end at the banks, here we had a number of vertical supports that couldn't allow logs and material to flow through.
"The logs hit the crossing and slowed the flow of the creek, which dropped the sediment out of the water and once the sediment dropped out, the culverts started to fill up and it basically became a dam wall.
"The water had nowhere to go and it caused an avulsion that just ripped the guts out of our place."
Prior to the floods, the Bertrams had about 12ha of irrigated cultivation, most of which they were using to grow lucerne for hay production.
The creek flats were the most productive part of the property and with 7ha of that area now lost, Mr Bertram said the impact on his business had been substantial.
"We've still got our property at Goondiwindi, but this was ultimately going to be our retirement place where we could also produce some hay and run some market-specific cattle."
Penelope Arthur
Journalist for Queensland Country Life at Roma.
Journalist for Queensland Country Life at Roma.
