At the bottom of East Street, where a culvert funnels water that comes down from the PAC Park wetlands, Parkes High School has 26 acres of land for teaching Agriculture.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Teacher Anthony Carter and Terry Job, who acts as project manager for the farm, have been working with the Parkes Shire Council to get the water back in the creek - and not dangerously flooding the area.
The PAC Park wetlands were originally created to protect wildlife and ensure water flowed freely down to Goobang Creek, but instead with Cumbungi grass towering over the area it is now acting as a dam of sorts.
And when the dam bursts its banks it heads straight for the Parkes High farm.
After the apocalyptic storm last week, and then an extra 10mm on Monday, Anthony headed out to the farm to capture just how much damage had been done - with the paddocks under two metres of water, fences damaged and top soil completely gone.
Fortunately Anthony had moved the school's Dorper flock to his own farm to keep an eye on them - otherwise the consequences would've been catastrophic.
Instead of flooding like this occuring once in 100 years, it's happening a couple of times each year and both Anthony and Terry have been working closely with Parkes Shire Council managing director Kent Boyd to find a solution.
They believe raising the road and building a bridge, maintaining the reeds and grasses and guttering the road are all critical for ensuring the farm isn't pummeled every time there is a heavy rain - something that is happening more often during this La Nina.
The farm has spent over $60,000 removing trees along the bank but Terry explains that the vegetation around the area needs even more yet.
"The cumbungi grass now acts like a giant 50 metre deep mat while removing more trees would open the area up and allow the water to remain in the creek instead of flooding the surrounds," says Terry.
Both men were keen to point out the many positives that have come from the council and farm working hand in hand to find solutions - and it will all be for the benefit of Parkes students, local residents, wildlife and further improve what is a beautiful little gem of park.
Anthony says agriculture is the fastest growing subject at the school, with interest growing five fold in just a couple of years.
All the money spent on upgrading the farm, including new yards, wild dog fencing and tree removal has all been spent with different local contractors.
It's led to fantastic results, with Agriculture Band 6's in the HSC a brilliant effort in what is a deceptively tough subject.
"We really just want to improve the safety for the whole East Street area; guttering, a pedestrian crossing, new bridge and vegetation improvements will help ensure this fantastic facility the school has built won't be continually damaged by rain," says Anthony.
It's all about getting the water in the creek, not on East Street.
