RUSTIC Gallery owner Rob O’Brien has called on the City of Swan to provide evidence they have cleaned out the drains over the last few years, following ongoing flooding at his Clayton Street shop.

City of Swan Mayor Tanya Richardson confirmed this week the city is working with Arc Infrastructure to address the flooding issues on Clayton Street.

“The City of Swan is working with Arc Infrastructure to arrange relevant approvals to complete some of the required maintenance works in the railway easement,” Mrs Richardson said.

“Further works will be conducted once this initial blockage is resolved.”

Rustic Gallery owner Rob O’Brien’s shopfront was inundated, and woodchips were left scattered around his shop walkway from the water as reported in Flood frustrations on Clayton Street.

Mr O’Brien said three City of Swan engineers visited his shop on June 28 which he appreciated as a sign of action.

But since the initial report, Mr O’Brien’s shop was flooded again on July 17 despite installing sleepers to stem the water flow.

“Flooded out again,” Mr O’Brien said.

“My costly endeavours to stop the influx of woodchips (floating in from the nearby shopping centre) failed as I was having a shower myself when the real impact was felt.

“I went out there and noticed the sleepers I had added to my driveway had been driven back by the power of the flooding allowing more woodchips in to mess my shop up.”

Mr O’Brien said there was still one question he had not received an answer for from the City of Swan despite weeks of email correspondence.

“Can (City of Swan) provide evidence they have cleaned out the drains over the last few years, bearing in mind I have been flooded out completely as a part of the general flooding of the (Clayton Street and Military Road) intersection for the last three consecutive years?

“At great cost to me for the wages for the people cleaning out the woodchips and rubbish that gets deposited all over my property each and every time that intersection floods but especially so last year, and again on June 6 this year.

“I inspected the drains in the area and saw a slow-growing palm in the drain in front of the salvage yard, the water levels in the drains outside my home aren’t going down and there’s a plant growing in there too.

“Is it raining right now? No. Yet the water level isn’t going down in the drain right outside my property.

“This is devastating for my business as customers can’t come in for days while the water remains above the walk into my shop.”

Echo News contacted Arc Infrastructure, PTA, the Midland Megaplex, and City of Swan for comment about a month after reporting on Clayton Street’s June flooding.

The PTA confirmed Arc Infrastructure had control over the relevant part of the rail reserve.

An Arc Infrastructure spokesperson confirmed they spoke with the city about solutions.

“Arc recently met with the City of Swan to discuss the drainage issue affecting Clayton Street,” they said.

“We will work with our teams to look at possible solutions to this issue and continue to liaise with the City of Swan.”