Flood Management Planning 2008

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Indicator description

Floodplain Management Plans

Council is committed to sound Floodplain Management in accordance with the process outlined in the NSW Government’s 2005 Floodplain Development Manual (see Figure 1). To achieve this goal, catchment specific Natural Resources and Floodplain Management Committees as well as a technical Flood Steering Group meet on a regular basis in order to assist Council in the development and implementation of Floodplain Risk Management Plans for catchments within the City’s boundaries.

Figure 1: Floodplain Management Process as set out in 2005 NSW Floodplain Development Manual.

A detailed study, undertaken by SMEC Australia in 2001, identified that the following locations are in need of Floodplain Risk Management Plans (priority in brackets):

• Lake Conjola / Berringer Lake (Lake Conjola) (high)
• Woollamia / Myola (Currambene Creek) (high)
• Berry (Broughton Creek) (high)
• Burrill Lake (Burrill Lake) (high)
• Kangaroo Valley (Kangaroo River) (high)
• Huskisson / Vincentia (Moona Moona Creek) (high)
• Tabourie Lake (Lake Tabourie) (high)
• Callala Beach / Callala Bay (Callala Creek) (medium)
• Culburra Beach (Lake Wollumboola) (medium)
• Ulladulla (Millards Creek) (medium)
• Tomerong (Tomerong Creek) (medium)
• Bawley Point  (Willinga Lake) (low)
• Currarong (Currarong Creek) (low)
• Berrara / Cudmirrah (Swan Lake) (low)

In addition to these identified locations, a Floodplain Risk Management Study and Plan is currently being prepared for Nowra Creek and Floodplain Risk Management Plans for the Lower Shoalhaven River and St Georges Basin have been completed. (See figures 2 and 3 for catchment plan and status of Flood Program in these areas.)

    Figure 2: Floodplain Risk Management Studies

    Figure 3: Floodplain Studies                                                                        

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All of the above mentioned high priority catchment studies are now in progress and the status of these projects can be viewed in the following tables:

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Public Awareness

Raising public awareness of flood risk plays an important role in Floodplain  Management.

Via the Floodplain Management Program, Shoalhaven City Council is progressively replacing historical flood information with data from detailed flood studies. The Public is encouraged to be actively involved in the process by contributing their own historical flood knowledge by either filling in questionnaires or attending public workshops for specific flood studies.

Public awareness of flood issues will also be broadened by disseminating information to the community via representatives of community groups who will be invited to attend a wide range of Natural Resources and Floodplain Management Committees. This will enable members of the public to contribute valuable information into the Floodplain Management Process via their elected representative as well as gain new knowledge from the representative’s reports back to their community groups.

Caravan Park Flood Safety Study

The Shoalhaven City Council geographical area has approximately 40 caravan parks in flood prone areas, many of which have permanently occupied vans. This situation presents significant potential for loss of life and a risk of caravan and park owners incurring major damage to their property.  In order to provide increased security and better emergency management strategies to caravan park owners as well as occupiers, a study was initiated by SCC and co-funded by the Natural Disaster Mitigation Programme to prepare individual flood emergency management plans for a significant number of flood prone parks as well as revise Council’s Interim Flood Policy for Caravan Parks in Flood Prone Areas. The results of this study will mean diminished losses for permanent residents as well as the tourist population.

The new policy reflects the “Merit based development assessment approach” prescribed by the 2005 Floodplain Development Manual, which seeks to provide a balance between danger to personal safety and economic losses due to flooding with the social, ecological and cultural interests and benefits of occupying flood prone land. The study has thus provided an opportunity to explore new options of minimising risk to life and property in caravan parks without the unnecessary sterilisation of flood prone land.

Flood Information - General

Shoalhaven City Council in conjunction with SES produced four site specific flood brochures for Shoalhaven Heads, Nowra/Bomaderry/Terara, Greenwell Point/Orient Point and Sussex Inlet.

General Flood Information booklets, such as “What to do before, during & after a flood” prepared by Emergency Management Australia are also available.  Free copies of these brochures are available at the City Administration Building in Nowra.

Don’t drive through Flood Waters! Wait and be safe!

Flood Information – Specific

In addition to flood brochures, Council developed an electronic Flood Enquiry System for flood level, hazard and hydraulic category data for specific properties. Requests can be lodged in person at Council or on the Council Internet site (please note that a fee may be charged for this service as per Council’s fees and charges schedule):

http://www.shoalhaven.nsw.gov.au/

·            Click on “Enquiry Counter”

·            Go to “online applications”

·            Go to “Flood Information Request”, fill in the request form and press “send"

·            An email will be sent to your identified email address upon receipt of the application.

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Flood Development Control Plan – DCP 106

DCP No. 106 – Floodplain Management provides information and development controls needed to prepare and assess development applications on flood prone land and applies to all development or works on flood prone land.

The DCP will assist in the management of individual development applications on flood prone land where a Floodplain Risk Management Plan has been prepared. At present the areas for which a management plans exist are Terara Village, the Riverview Road area, St Georges Basin and the Lower Shoalhaven River areas. Further management plans are proposed as indicated in the tables above. It is intended that as the various Floodplain Risk Management Plans are prepared the relevant provisions will be incorporated into DCP No. 106.

The DCP has been developed as a "plain English document" which is performance based, and utilises objectives, performance criteria and acceptable solutions to guide development within the floodplain. The provisions of the NSW Floodplain Management Manual (2005) and other relevant legislation have also been incorporated into the document. Generic flooding information, controls and terms have been added to assist in creating a document which provides all relevant flooding information to assist the users of the document. 

The DCP provides Council with an essential tool for managing risk and liability associated with development within floodplains. The DCP also provides a level of certainty in regard to the type of measures which need to be taken to minimise the risk associated with development within floodplains. The document has been based upon extensive risk management studies and the guidelines contained within the document follow State government guides and recommendations.

Flood Policy

In catchment areas where a Floodplain Risk Management Plan has not been completed, general controls as outlined in Council’s Flood Policy will apply. Some of these areas in time will be covered by Floodplain Risk Management Plans however a significant number of catchments within the Shoalhaven area are too small or considered to be low risk and will remain under the control of the Flood Policy.

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