Council keeps drainage standard

The current standard of stormwater construction in Woy Woy will be retained, despite a proposal to lower the standard so that drainage of the area could be completed six years sooner.

Gosford Council decided at its meeting on October 7 to retain a design capacity of "1-in-100 years" for Woy Woy catchment areas B and C.

The council was told that construction to this standard would cost $7 million and take 14 years to complete.

Council staff suggested that by lowering the standard to "1-in-10", the construction cost would be lowered to $4 million, taking eight years to complete.

"The savings achieved would allow further funding to be apportioned to other key catchments on the Woy Woy Peninsula area or across Gosford City, as determined by Council," a staff report to the council noted.

It suggested that a study, funded from a future capital works program, be prepared to "identify the minimum floor level requirements for the area based on the half capacity system."

It would have "identified any restrictions upon development up to 1-in-10 year design flows due to the proposed reduced capacity of the system".

The project constructing stormwater drains under the railway line from Correa Bay to Railway St is part of the affected catchment area.

The council agenda noted that flooding in the area is currently classed as "nuisance flooding" as stormwater had not been reported to have entered any houses.

"It currently ponds in streets or property owners yards for long periods of time

"However, future development within the catchment is restricted until the identified Drainage Blackspot area is relieved of flooding problems by way of the provision of trunk drainage."

Council agenda SF.046, October 14