Central Coast Council has welcomed the opportunity to join with other stakeholders in discussing flood mitigation and preparedness, at the meeting convened on 23 August at Wyong.  The meeting provided for a productive dialogue between the SES, as the combat agency responsible for flood events, NSW Police, Council, and the Central Coast’s state MPs so that we can improve our joint approach to flood preparedness.

Central Coast Council Director Environment and Planning, Dr Alice Howe, said the meeting was also an opportunity to clarify future actions Council is already, or will be, undertaking.

“Central Coast Council has received funding from the NSW Government to review and update the 2014 Tuggerah Lakes Flood Study (which will inform an updated Floodplain Risk Management Study and Plan).  This project is now underway and will allow for an updated understanding of flood risk and behaviour within the Tuggerah Lakes floodplain in order to better identify and mitigate flood risk.  The updated study will be able to take into account intensified development within the catchment since the last study. It will not only update anticipated flood frequencies and heights, but also identify flood velocities within the floodplain to better understand current flood risks.

“Council has also completed the Tuggerah Lakes Entrance Management Study which included development of an Interim Entrance Management Procedure, which has been used to manage the channel during this year’s flood events.  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. This Interim Procedure will be included in the SES’s Central Coast Local Flood Plan, which provides guidance on flood response.”

“The Interim Procedure is intended to guide Council’s channel management until an Entrance Management Strategy can be completed through the Tuggerah Lakes Coastal Management Program.  Community input will be sought as part of upcoming consultation on the Coastal Management Program, which is currently in development.”

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. The study can be found in full on Council’s website.

Dr Howe said there was also discussion of the NSW Government’s Voluntary House Raising Program. To date, no properties in the Central Coast have successfully accessed this program.

Central Coast Council Administrator, Rik Hart, said the meeting was an indication of how the range of key stakeholders, who have been involved in a very challenging year of extreme weather and resultant floods, can come together to reflect and collaborate.

“The key message out of the meeting was that the community is top of mind for all of us, and we are all committed to working together, sharing knowledge and resources, to ensure the safety and sustainability of the Central Coast and its community.”