In an interview in the Castlemaine Mail on January 27, Mr Ralph said Mount Alexander Shire Council should build an aquatic centre if it is needed, but not on the Western Reserve, which has a history of flooding.

Mr Ralph referred to the well-documented Big Flood of 1889 which flooded the southern end of Castlemaine, including the Castlemaine Primary School and the railway line.

He said that during the 2011 summer floods there was a considerable amount of water where the skate park is now located. He is calling for council to undertake a flood report.

Responding to Mr Ralph’s comments, council’s director of economic and social development, Carolyn Wallace, said Western Reserve was not impacted on by the 2011 flood and there were no plans to undertake a flood study of this site.

She also said Western Reserve is adjacent to an Inundation Overlay, and this had been considered and responded to in the design process for the aquatic centre.

Last week, photographs of water lying over the southern and south-western parts of the reserve in December 2010 were forwarded to Ms Wallace.

She said that the photographs are consistent with the fact there were record high rainfalls across the Shire during December 2010-January 2011 and many areas were under water.

“There will only be flood studies undertaken where there was significant inundation from Barkers Creek, along Gingell Street to Campbells Creek. If council proceeds into the detailed design work for the aquatic centre on the Western Reserve, further geotechnical investigation will occur. The usual background work for this type of development envisaged for the aquatic centre has been undertaken,” Ms Wallace said.

A flood study is usually undertaken after a major flood event.

Mount Alexander Shire is working with the NCCMA and is hoping to receive funds in the 2012/13 financial year. The study will be for the flood-affected areas from Barkers Creek, along Gingell Street to Campbells Creek and is expected to take up to two years to complete. It will include a review of the planning overlays in the flood-affected areas.