Managing Flood Risk in the Mullet Creek Catchment

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Consultation has concluded

We’ve completed several studies to assess the flood risk within the Mullet Creek Catchment. The risks are to people, property, infrastructure (e.g. roads and stormwater pipes) and assets (e.g. public parks). We’re now working on a Floodplain Risk Management Plan to look at ways to manage flood risk.

Measures used for managing flood risk
These measures might include groundworks in the catchment (e.g. drainage improvements, detention basins, and levees) to protect existing development and assets. We also consider using development controls and planning measures to reduce the risk of flooding to future development in the catchment. In addition, evacuation and emergency response planning will also be part of our approach to managing flood risk.

We’re asking the community to be involved in this flood risk management planning. We’d like to know where you think we should be focusing our efforts to protect existing homes, businesses, roads and other assets from flooding. We’d like you to be part of planning for flood-safe development into the future. We’ll work alongside the community and the State Emergency Service (NSW SES) so we can all respond to flooding in a coordinated, efficient and practical way.

Previous community input
The community has provided valuable input to previous flood investigations in the Mullet Creek catchment. In November 2017, they shared feedback with us as part of the Mullet Creek flood model update. They provided accounts of their observations of previous flooding and shared feedback on the flood mapping through an online survey and community drop-in session. This input helped us to assess the suitability of a range of flood management measures for the catchment.

Flood risk management measures for the Mullet Creek catchment
Using the previous flood investigations and input from the community, we’ve assessed a range of flood management measures for their suitability in reducing flood risk in the Mullet Creek catchment. These include engineering works, vegetation management, development planning and emergency response arrangements. These are some examples of each of these measures:

Engineering structures

Detention basins

Debris control structuresImproving drainage

Levees








Property modifications (existing development)

Voluntary house purchase

House raising


Development controls (future development)

Minimum floor levels


Emergency response and community awareness

Build evacuation routes


Flood warning signs


Flood plan


Learn more and help with our planning
To find out more about the process for managing flood risk and how you can be involved in our planning:

Drop-in information session
At this session, we’ll have maps showing the location of the recommended measures for managing flood risk. The flood engineers who are working on the Floodplain Risk Management Study and Plan for this catchment will be there to answer your questions, explain what is being planned and how the proposed measures will help manage flood risks.

Date: Thursday 13 October 2022
Time: There's no presentation at this session, so you can drop in anytime between 3:30-6:30pm
Where: Dapto Ribbonwood Centre (Kurrajong 2 room), 93/109 Princes Highway, Dapto

Accessibility, mobility or language assistance
If you’re d/Deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech or language difficulty, you can contact us through the National Relay Service(External link). If you need an interpreter, you can contact us through the Translating and Interpreting Service(External link) on 131 450. You’ll need to provide our phone number 02 4227 7111 for either service. If you would like to attend the information sessions and have accessibility or mobility requirements, please let us know how we can support your attendance. We can also arrange for an interpreter to come along to help residents who have difficulty communicating in English. To arrange support, please contact engagement@wollongong.nsw.gov.au(External link) by Monday 10 October 2022.

Join the conversation
Share your feedback with the project team by 1 November 2022. Submissions become public documents and may be viewed by other persons on request. Please read Council's Privacy Policy(External link) before submitting your feedback.

We’ve completed several studies to assess the flood risk within the Mullet Creek Catchment. The risks are to people, property, infrastructure (e.g. roads and stormwater pipes) and assets (e.g. public parks). We’re now working on a Floodplain Risk Management Plan to look at ways to manage flood risk.

Measures used for managing flood risk
These measures might include groundworks in the catchment (e.g. drainage improvements, detention basins, and levees) to protect existing development and assets. We also consider using development controls and planning measures to reduce the risk of flooding to future development in the catchment. In addition, evacuation and emergency response planning will also be part of our approach to managing flood risk.

We’re asking the community to be involved in this flood risk management planning. We’d like to know where you think we should be focusing our efforts to protect existing homes, businesses, roads and other assets from flooding. We’d like you to be part of planning for flood-safe development into the future. We’ll work alongside the community and the State Emergency Service (NSW SES) so we can all respond to flooding in a coordinated, efficient and practical way.

Previous community input
The community has provided valuable input to previous flood investigations in the Mullet Creek catchment. In November 2017, they shared feedback with us as part of the Mullet Creek flood model update. They provided accounts of their observations of previous flooding and shared feedback on the flood mapping through an online survey and community drop-in session. This input helped us to assess the suitability of a range of flood management measures for the catchment.

Flood risk management measures for the Mullet Creek catchment
Using the previous flood investigations and input from the community, we’ve assessed a range of flood management measures for their suitability in reducing flood risk in the Mullet Creek catchment. These include engineering works, vegetation management, development planning and emergency response arrangements. These are some examples of each of these measures:

Engineering structures

Detention basins

Debris control structuresImproving drainage

Levees








Property modifications (existing development)

Voluntary house purchase

House raising


Development controls (future development)

Minimum floor levels


Emergency response and community awareness

Build evacuation routes


Flood warning signs


Flood plan


Learn more and help with our planning
To find out more about the process for managing flood risk and how you can be involved in our planning:

Drop-in information session
At this session, we’ll have maps showing the location of the recommended measures for managing flood risk. The flood engineers who are working on the Floodplain Risk Management Study and Plan for this catchment will be there to answer your questions, explain what is being planned and how the proposed measures will help manage flood risks.

Date: Thursday 13 October 2022
Time: There's no presentation at this session, so you can drop in anytime between 3:30-6:30pm
Where: Dapto Ribbonwood Centre (Kurrajong 2 room), 93/109 Princes Highway, Dapto

Accessibility, mobility or language assistance
If you’re d/Deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech or language difficulty, you can contact us through the National Relay Service(External link). If you need an interpreter, you can contact us through the Translating and Interpreting Service(External link) on 131 450. You’ll need to provide our phone number 02 4227 7111 for either service. If you would like to attend the information sessions and have accessibility or mobility requirements, please let us know how we can support your attendance. We can also arrange for an interpreter to come along to help residents who have difficulty communicating in English. To arrange support, please contact engagement@wollongong.nsw.gov.au(External link) by Monday 10 October 2022.

Join the conversation
Share your feedback with the project team by 1 November 2022. Submissions become public documents and may be viewed by other persons on request. Please read Council's Privacy Policy(External link) before submitting your feedback.

Consultation has concluded
  • Council adopts Mullet Creek Floodplain Risk Management Study and Plan

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    23 May 2023

    The draft Mullet Creek Floodplain Risk Management Study and Plan was prepared with the cooperation, assistance, and support of many stakeholders, including community members and State Government representatives.

    The draft Mullet Creek Floodplain Risk Management Study and Plan is an important milestone in the floodplain risk management process, that will allow appropriate flood risk management strategies to be put in place, such as development controls, emergency response measures, education and infrastructure solutions to benefit the community and businesses within the catchment. The report and associated flood data will be put onto the NSW Flood Data Portal (External link)so it can be publicly accessed, with the aim to provide a better understanding of flood behaviour, flood risk and wiser decision-making for the Mullet Creek catchment.

    At its meeting on 8 May 2023, Council adopted the Mullet Creek Floodplain Risk Management Study and Plan. You can read the business paper(External link) and minutes(External link) for more information.

    Thank you to everyone who contributed their time, thoughts and energy to help manage flood risk in this catchment.

  • What we heard from our community

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    19 Apr 2023

    We invited feedback on the draft FRMSP and received 67 submissions, including 15 via the online survey, four emails, one letter and 47 hard copy surveys. We had conversations with 20 attendees at the community information session and two representatives of an Aboriginal Traditional Custodian group. Two people submitted questions to the online Q&A and the project webpage had 633 unique views.


    What we heard

    Survey

    Most of the feedback was provided via the survey (61 submissions). Nearly half of the respondents have lived, worked or visited in the catchment for more than 21 years. The most common response people said they would have to a major flood in the area, is to remain at their house. During a flood event, they would most commonly seek information via radio, social media and TV about road closures, predicted flood levels and evacuation notices. Respondents were asked to indicate their level of support for the options for managing flood risk in the Mullet Creek Catchment. Most were either strongly supportive or somewhat supportive of each option.

    Respondents were also asked if they had other suggestions for managing flood risk in the catchment. Several made suggestions for stormwater infrastructure they believe would help, like bigger pipes, debris control structures, retention basins, levees and weirs. Some acknowledged the effectiveness of existing infrastructure and had observed improvements since mitigation measures were put in place.

    There was a call for improvements to the maintenance of stormwater infrastructure and to increase the frequency of maintenance. There is a perception some drains are never cleared out and there is risk from blocked drains increasing flood impacts. Respondents identified specific areas of concern and made suggestions for maintaining stormwater infrastructure.

    Some respondents called for improvements to creek and vegetation maintenance and identified areas of concern. People want maintenance to occur more frequently to remove rubbish and weeds, including lantana. Some believe dredging Mullet Creek will help.

    Some respondents believe not allowing or limiting development on flood-affected land is needed, whereas others feel the current development controls are suitable. There is a perception new development contributes to worsening flood impacts. We heard more care needs to be taken when granting building permits, to ensure there is adequate drainage for all future development in flood-affected areas. Some believe there should be higher flood-mitigation requirements on developers.

    Road raising was spoken about as a potential mitigation option. People made suggestions for roads they think should be raised and expressed concerns about roads being cut off in floods.

    We received other suggestions, including:

    • Educating the community about evacuation and driving through floodwaters
    • Using Dapto High School as an emergency evacuation centre
    • Installing flood warning signs and depth indicators on roads that are known flooding hotspots
    • Purchasing flood-affected properties at real estate value, not market value.


    Meeting with Aboriginal stakeholders

    The Aboriginal Traditional Custodians we spoke to indicated there are sites and artefacts near the proposed locations of some of the recommended options. They requested to have a site officer present to monitor when the Enhanced Storage Areas go in. They would like to better understand the footprint of potential roadworks and requested archaeological testing take place if Council is looking to expand the footprint of roads near creeks.


    Open submissions

    We received open written submissions from:

    • An operator of an electrical distribution network
    • An engineering consultancy firm on behalf of an industrial landowner
    • A development investment group on behalf of an industrial landowner.

    Lengthy and/or technical submissions were provided in full to the team working on the FRMSP. The main points raised in these submissions included requests to:

    • Clarify or add technical details
    • Prioritise the Northcliffe Drive extension (EM9)
    • Add other mitigation options to the Plan, including debris control structures and a levee

    The representative of the electrical distribution network operator provided advice regarding their flood response plan and impacts of floods on the network.


    Information session

    Twenty people attended the information session at Dapto Ribbonwood Centre on 13 October 2022. Attendees provided comments on post-it notes and attached them to large maps showing the location of the preliminary options for emergency management and flood modification, as well as flood extents. People raised concerns about road closures and access during floods. People noted specific locations impacted by floods, in particular around Ena Avenue, and suggested ways to reduce flood impacts. They also noted their observations of flooding and flood impacts in these areas.


    Social media

    Commentary centred around people’s perceptions as to what causes flooding; allowing development and built-up areas on floodplains – and how it could be mitigated. Suggestions included raising a section of Bong Bong Rd and the bridge, raising the level of Darkes Rd and dredging the silt build-up at the mouth of the creeks.


    Next steps

    We will use this feedback to inform any required revisions to the draft Floodplain Risk Management Study and Plan. These are preliminary discussions about the recommended options. They will each require further investigation, consultation and approvals before going ahead. We will continue sharing information with the community and key stakeholders and seek input as we progress.


    Read the full Engagement Report