Wollongong City Flood Study Review

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Consultation has concluded

We’ve updated the Wollongong City Flood Study and would like to share it with the community.

The community contributed valuable information to the review, with Council receiving hundreds of submissions about the flooding and drainage problems they’d experienced on their properties. There is now a draft addition to the Flood Study with information on how the review was done and what the results are.

The updated Study explains the ways flooding happens in the Wollongong City catchment (see catchment map overleaf). It uses Council’s revised Blockage Policy, which was updated in 2016. This Policy helps us to work out how the blockage of stormwater structures might affect flooding. The Study considers recent urban developments, changes to the Gurungaty waterway and information collected after recent flood events. It also answers questions from the community about the flooding experienced in recent years. Read the Frequently Asked Questions to learn more about this and other updates to the Study.

Come along to one of our drop-in community information sessions for a chat with the floodplain engineers working on the review. These are drop-in sessions, so you can come in at any time.

  • Mid-week Session
    Thursday 30 May 2019, drop in anytime between 4pm – 6pm
    BlueScope Gallery, Level 3, Wollongong Art Gallery
    46 Burelli St, Wollongong
  • Weekend Session
    Saturday 1 June 2019, drop in anytime between 10am – 12pm
    JJ Kelly Park (near the playground)
    Corner of Swan & Keira St, Wollongong
    (If the weather is bad, we’ll relocate to the Level 9 Function Room in Council’s Admin building, 41 Burelli St, Wollongong)

If you’d like to attend and have accessibility or mobility requirements, or need an interpreter, please contact us to let us know how we can support your attendance.

Read the Report (Volume 1 and Volume 2) to learn more about the project, then share your feedback online with the project team.

Feedback closes on Tuesday 18 June 2019.

We’ve updated the Wollongong City Flood Study and would like to share it with the community.

The community contributed valuable information to the review, with Council receiving hundreds of submissions about the flooding and drainage problems they’d experienced on their properties. There is now a draft addition to the Flood Study with information on how the review was done and what the results are.

The updated Study explains the ways flooding happens in the Wollongong City catchment (see catchment map overleaf). It uses Council’s revised Blockage Policy, which was updated in 2016. This Policy helps us to work out how the blockage of stormwater structures might affect flooding. The Study considers recent urban developments, changes to the Gurungaty waterway and information collected after recent flood events. It also answers questions from the community about the flooding experienced in recent years. Read the Frequently Asked Questions to learn more about this and other updates to the Study.

Come along to one of our drop-in community information sessions for a chat with the floodplain engineers working on the review. These are drop-in sessions, so you can come in at any time.

  • Mid-week Session
    Thursday 30 May 2019, drop in anytime between 4pm – 6pm
    BlueScope Gallery, Level 3, Wollongong Art Gallery
    46 Burelli St, Wollongong
  • Weekend Session
    Saturday 1 June 2019, drop in anytime between 10am – 12pm
    JJ Kelly Park (near the playground)
    Corner of Swan & Keira St, Wollongong
    (If the weather is bad, we’ll relocate to the Level 9 Function Room in Council’s Admin building, 41 Burelli St, Wollongong)

If you’d like to attend and have accessibility or mobility requirements, or need an interpreter, please contact us to let us know how we can support your attendance.

Read the Report (Volume 1 and Volume 2) to learn more about the project, then share your feedback online with the project team.

Feedback closes on Tuesday 18 June 2019.

Consultation has concluded
  • Wollongong City Flood Study (2019) adopted by Council on 2 September 2019

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    At its 12 August meeting, Council deferred adoption of the Study in order for an updated report to be
    provided to the next Council meeting on 2 September 2019. The Council report and attachments were reviewed and updated to consider additional community feedback provided to Councillors at the 12
    August meeting.

    The Wollongong City Flood Study (2019) was finalised following the public exhibition and a report went to Council at the meeting on 2 September 2019. Councillors resolved unanimously to adopt the Study.
    The Study will inform land use planning, planning certificates and be used for the development of a floodplain risk management study and plan.

    Read the Business Paper and meeting minutes on Council's website for more information.

    Thank you to all who made a submission. Your contribution to Council's management of flood risk is highly valued.
  • Wollongong City Catchment Flood Study (2019) report is going to Council on 12 August 2019

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    The Wollongong City Catchment Flood Study (2019) has been finalised following the public exhibition. A report is going to Council at the meeting on 12 August 2019 with a recommendation to adopt the Study. The Study will inform land use planning, planning certificates and be used for the development of a floodplain risk management study and plan.

    Read the Business Paper on Council's website for more information.

    Council Meetings are held in our Burelli Street, Wollongong, Administration Building in the Level 10 Council Chambers. They're open to the public (15 minutes prior to the beginning of the meeting at 6pm), except for any part of the meeting where items are proposed to be considered in Closed Council. Everyone is welcome to sit in the gallery and watch Council's decision-making processes in action.

    If you're unable to attend in person, we also webcast the meetings. If you're interested, you can watch the meeting through our website.
  • Community input

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    Council’s engagement team worked collaboratively with a technical consultant to share the updated Study with the community and key stakeholders. During the engagement period, 20 May – 18 June 2019, Council sent letters to more than 7,600 residents and property owners in the catchment area inviting them to learn more about the review. Emails with this information were sent to community, education, Register of Interest (flood), business, government and emergency services’ stakeholders. The information was also available at Council’s Customer Service Centre. Copies of the draft report, a Frequently Asked Questions sheet and Feedback Form were made available at an information session at Wollongong Art Gallery on 30 May 2019 and at a community information stand held at JJ Kelly Park on 1 June 2019. They were also included on this project webpage. Notices of the exhibition were published in the Advertiser on 22 May and 5 June 2019. The community were invited to provide feedback via Council’s website, Customer Service Centre and at the community information sessions.

    There were a total of seven submissions. Some comments were provided at the drop-in information sessions which were attended by a total of 62 community members. Comments related to:

    • General support of Council’s flood risk management work for the catchment
    • Interpreting the draft Study as having contradictory information to what was stated in the Frequently Asked Questions and at information sessions
    • Concerns or misunderstandings about new development perceived to be causing sewer overflow, flooding and increased run-off
    • Concerns or misunderstandings as to why some areas had been mapped as being flood affected, even though some people hadn’t witnessed flooding in these areas
    • Interest in finding out what the flood risk is for property they own or live in, or if it had changed since the last Study
    • Requests for improvements or maintenance for stormwater drainage
    • Interest in floodplain risk management and mitigation works in other catchments
    • Concern about the potential impacts of the updated modelling on flood insurance premiums

    A report is currently being prepared and will be provided to Councillors for their meeting on 22 July 2019, and they will consider whether to adopt the Flood Study.

    Council Meetings are held in our Burelli Street, Wollongong, Administration Building in the Level 10 Council Chambers. They're open to the public (15 minutes prior to the beginning of the meeting at 6pm), except for any part of the meeting where items are proposed to be considered in Closed Council. Everyone is welcome to sit in the gallery and watch Council's decision-making processes in action. If you're unable to attend in person, we also webcast the meetings. If you're interested, you can watch the meeting through our website.