Mudflat Creek study adopted

Gosford Council has resolved to adopt the draft Mudflat Creek study for Hardys Bay.

It will now move ahead with the floodplain risk management study and plan.

Mr Richard Dewar of Webb, McKeown and Associates presented an assessment report on public submissions generated by the recent public exhibition of the draft flood study between January and February at the meeting of April 7.

Only two submissions were made.

They raised several issues including reliability of input data, overland flow through front yards of the properties situated on the northwestern side of Fraser Rd and the approach used for publicising the study.

Ann Bowe of the Killcare Wagstaffe Trust informed the committee of her experience and advised that only the flood affected residents took interest in the study.

Ms Bowe also requested that the whole of the catchment area of the Mudflat Creek be considered in the next stage of the floodplain risk management process for Mudflat Creek.

She was told that the flood studies were required only to address main stream flooding and not full catchment issues.

Director of environmental planning Ms Louise Gee advised that separate catchment audits were being undertaken by the environmental planning directorate to address issues such as sedimentation, erosion and water quality.

Mr Dewar informed the committee that availability of comprehensive and reliable data for such studies was almost impossible to find.

He acknowledged the need for a further investigation into the overland flow at the next stage, for example during the Mudflat Creek floodplain risk management study and plan.

It was moved that residents of Killcare, affected by the flood planning level be invited individually, as well as through advertising in media, to express their interest in joining the committee as temporary members for the duration of the Mudflat Creek floodplain risk management study and plan.

Properties identified to be affected by the Probable Maximum Flood (PMF) will have this recorded on their s149 certificates and letters will be sent to the property owners explaining the need for the encoding and the nature and extent of restriction to development on their properties.

Council agenda FM.001, May 3