A STRETCH of Midland’s Railway Parade was flooded after weekend rain pooled in the street, discouraging thoroughfare and disrupting business.

Commercial Bar and Kitchen owner Kevin Bartholomew saw the street front outside his business swamped and said it was keeping customers away.

“The flooding has had a significant impact on our business, causing major disruptions, deterring customers, and affecting our revenue,” he said.

“We have had 12 such events, with it becoming notably worse since the (new Midland station) project’s re-excavation of Railway Parade West.

“These storms are not abnormal; they happen every year and are predictable.”

Public Transport Authority (PTA) spokesperson David Hynes said water pooling in the area was not unusual for the area after heavy rainfall.

“There’s no evidence the project has exacerbated these existing issues, as has been claimed,” he said.

“In fact, storm water drainage assets along Railway Parade, which are owned by the local government, are being upgraded as part of the new Midland station works.

“Temporary pumps and pipes have been deployed to mitigate weather-related issues, and we continue to monitor this.

“Localised pooling is being effectively dispersed before it poses any threat to people or property.

“The PTA has been contacted by the Commercial Bar and Kitchen and will continue to engage with those who are impacted by the project.”

Mr Bartholomew said these issues had solutions and pointed to an example of flooding being quickly cleared once the City of Swan acted with assistance from the Metronet team.

“One instance that stands out vividly was on July 10, when three City of Swan trucks arrived to investigate the severe flooding in front of our business,” he said.

“There was a scramble on the new Midland station site, and they used a crane to lower a submersible pump into a drain on the project site.

“Remarkably, within a short time, all the flooding water on Railway Parade was gone.

“This demonstrated that the flooding problem is solvable with the right resources and prompt action.”
Mr Bartholomew said he appreciated the community’s support during disruptions and hoped a permanent solution could be found.

“We’ve been informed that the problem should be fixed when they dig up the road in front of our business later this year,” he said.

“In the meantime, however, we continue to suffer the consequences.

“We would like to thank our loyal customers for supporting us through this difficult time.”