Council has completed the Tuggerah Lakes Entrance Management Study which included the development of the Interim Entrance Management Procedure, to assist in reducing flood risk and impacts to the community.
 
The interim procedure is intended to guide Council’s channel management until the Entrance Management Strategy is completed, as part of the Tuggerah Lakes Coastal Management Program. This procedure is supported by flood intelligence tools that provide real-time predictive lake level modelling and data to ensure a proactive and informed response from Council when flood events are predicted.
 
Council Director of Environment and Planning, Dr Alice Howe said the interim procedure recognises that managing the entrance to Tuggerah Lakes is a complex issue and provides a rational decision-making framework for Council to undertake entrance management works.
 
“Due to the entrance to Tuggerah Lakes being so dynamic and continuously being shaped by catchment and coastal processes, including rainfall, tides and ocean waves, the procedure recognises five distinct entrance conditions,” Dr Howe said.
 
Depending on the prevailing entrance condition at the time of a predicted flood, the procedure prescribes different tailored responses to ensure the risk is managed effectively and in the best interest of the community. This includes options such as berm scraping, pilot channels or emergency openings.
 
Using the flood intelligence tools developed, Council can anticipate potential flood heights based on BOM rainfall forecasts and will respond when a peak flood level of 1.3 m AHD or greater is predicted. This allows Council to respond much earlier, unlike trigger levels for our other coastal lagoons for instance, which are based on measured water levels.
 
“Council staff have considered and implemented the current Interim Entrance Management Procedure during each of the Tuggerah Lakes flood events that have occurred in 2022.
 
“Only modest flood level reductions are expected from implementing the procedure and the flood risk cannot be eliminated entirely, however it is still beneficial for reducing the impact and damage to our community.
 
“It’s important that residents living on a floodplain are aware of their flood risk and prepare for future weather events,” Dr Howe added.
 
Council Administrator, Rik Hart, said the release of the interim procedure is a significant piece of work in better preparing for future, predicted weather events.
 
“I’m pleased that this procedure is available to the community to read and gain an understanding of the steps Council is taking to better prepare for flooding events.
 
“This Interim Entrance Management Procedure provides context to how Council monitors the condition of the channel and the actions that will be undertaken when a flood is predicted.”
 
The Tuggerah Lakes Entrance Management Study was prepared by the NSW Government’s specialist advisor, Manly Hydraulics Laboratory, and in consultation with relevant government agencies and departments.
 
Visit Tuggerah Lakes Entrance Management Study to view the full Study including images and charts.
 
ENDS