FAQs

The community is being called upon during the study and plan review to complete a short questionnaire to gather information on their flood experiences, as well as their thoughts on current and future mitigation measures. Photographs, recordings of flood depths or other relevant material that residents may have and would like to share would also be welcomed for the review. We are interested in your experience of flooding and any photos of flooding particularly at the maximum level it reached We are also seeking community input on current and future mitigation measures

*PLEASE NOTE THIS SURVEY IS NOW CLOSED* (10th Jan 2022)

Coffs Harbour City Council (the Council) has received financial support from the State Floodplain Management program, managed by the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and the Environment (DPIE), to undertake a flood investigation of the Coffs Creek Catchment.

The project will review the existing flood study’s hydrological and hydraulic flood model, and the existing floodplain risk management study and plan, to enable an understanding of the impacts and changes in flood behaviour, due to physical alteration of catchment characteristics such as the construction of flood mitigation works or extensive new development in the catchment. It also involves reviewing existing recommended management measures as well as testing and investigating practical, feasible and economic management measures to treat existing, future and residual risk. The revised Floodplain Risk Management Study will provide a basis for informing the development of a new Floodplain Risk Management Plan.

This study will improve the accuracy and resolution of Councils existing flood mapping by making use of recently available high resolution topographic data in conjunction with best practice flood modelling software.

The Floodplain Risk Management Study and Plan considers the consequences of flooding on the community and aims to develop appropriate floodplain management measures to minimise and mitigate the impact of flooding. This incorporates the existing flood risk associated with current development, and future flood risk associated with future development and changes in land use.

The outcomes of the review will improve the existing Floodplain Risk Management Study and Plan, and will contain an appropriate mix of management measures and strategies, to help direct and coordinate the responsibilities of Government and the community in undertaking immediate and future flood management works and initiatives. These recommended measures may include Property, Response, and Flood modification.

Information from the study will be used by the State Emergency Service (SES) during flood emergencies and will be used by Council to manage development in flood-affected areas.

Council has engaged specialist flood consultants WMAwater to undertake the Floodplain Risk Management Study and Plan for the Coffs Creek Catchment.

This Coffs Creek Floodplain Risk Management Study and Plan supported by the NSW Government’s Floodplain Management Program which aims to reduce the impacts of flooding and flood liability on individual owners and occupiers, and to minimise private and public losses resulting from flooding. Under the Program, local government is responsible for managing flood liable land. The Floodplain Risk Management Study and Plan is the third stage in the four-step process and on commencement all available information, including valuable community knowledge and experiences will be collected, compiled and reviewed. The project will provide updated detailed mapping, which will give Council a better understanding of the current flood risk to the community and support a range of Council functions including development, planning, community education and mitigation works. This project has been titled Coffs Creek Floodplain Risk Management Study and Plan, and is being undertaken in:

• consistency with the NSW Floodplain Development Manual 2005
• consistency with national best practice,
• compatibility with future climate change scenarios,
• consistency with the transparent mapping needs of the Council

In 2018, Coffs Harbour City Council completed the Coffs Creek and Park Beach Flood Study (BMT WBM, 2018) for the catchment, this Study is now the next step in the Floodplain Management Process. It'll incorporate the latest Australian Rainfall and Runoff (2019) methodologies and digital terrain data for the Coffs Harbour area.

For example,
In 2001, Coffs Harbour City Council completed the Coffs Creek Flood Study (Webb,McKeown and Associates, 2001),  which determines the nature and extent of the flood problem. This was then followed by the Coffs Creek Floodplain Risk Management Study and Plan (Bewsher, 2005). Notably, the constructed Detention Basin's were mitigation options that came from the 2005 FRMS&P. This Study is an update or 'review' of our current mitigation measures.

The Floodplain Risk Management Study and Plan will further look into mitigation measures for the entire Coffs Creek catchment, with more of a focus on the northern tributaries around Bray Street, Antares Avenue, Baringa Hospital and the Masonic Village on Mackays Road. Other flood prone areas such as around the Gundagai Street Bridge, Azalea Avenue and Combine Street, McLean Street and the CBD will be investigated.