The NSW Government’s Floodplain Management Program 2021-22 has included funding for Bathurst Regional Council to undertake a major review of how it address major weather events in the city.
Member for Bathurst Paul Toole has welcomed new funding of $152,665 to help Bathurst Regional Council better understand and manage local flood risk and exposure.
He said the Bathurst flood risk management plan includes primary flood areas through Bathurst along the Macquarie River, extending from White Rock/Perthville tributary locations to Eglinton.
“The current plan was developed in 1993 to determine levee locations and enable management in the interim,” Mr Toole said.
“The entire levee system is now complete, but the Bathurst development area has extended beyond the original plan’s footprint, rendering the current plan of reduced assistance in addressing flood risks for new developments.”
As a result of the funding, it is proposed to update the flood plan, validate the levee system, implement modern industry standards such as Australian rainfall and runoff (ARR) 2019 and 2D modelling, understand flood risk and overland flow, particularly in urban areas as well as strategic development areas.
“By taking these steps, Bathurst Regional Council would be able to make informed decisions on managing flood risk in developed and soon-to-be-developed areas,” Mr Toole said.
Mr Toole said that each year councils can apply for grants through the NSW Government’s Floodplain Management Program to fund important projects for local councils to assess and understand flood risk and help reduce flood impacts on their local communities.
“This is a continuation of the NSW Government’s investment to support councils such as Bathurst, which have the primary role of managing flood risk in their communities,” he said.
The 49 projects funded under the 2021-22 Floodplain Management grants program, which total $9.54 million, are in addition to the 208 ongoing projects valued at $49.64 million being implemented from previous years’ funding rounds.
Each application was assessed by a DPIE technical specialist and then by the independent State Floodplain Mitigation Assessment Committee (SFMAC) for feasibility and overall worthiness using assessment criteria.
コメント