Community input
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.
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Consultation has concluded