Community views are being sought for the Central Darling Shire Flood Risk Management Study and Plan.

Central Darling Shire Council has engaged consultants to undertake the Central Darling Shire Flood Risk Management Study and Plan which will focus on the townships of Wilcannia, Menindee, Ivanhoe, Tilpa and Sunset Strip.

The Central Darling Shire Flood Risk Management Study and Plan aims to build community resilience towards flooding through informing better planning of development, improving emergency management procedures and increasing community awareness of the existing flood risk.

The outcomes of the Central Darling Shire Flood Risk Management Study and Plan will assist Council in refining strategic plans for mitigating and managing the effects of existing flood risk (associated with existing development on flood prone land), future flood risk (associated with any new development on flood prone land) and continuing flood risk (the risk remaining in both existing and future development areas after floodplain risk management measures are implemented).

The Central Darling Shire Flood Risk Management Study and Plan will build on the results of the recently completed Darling River Flood Mapping Study, which defined the nature of flooding on the Darling River where it runs through the local government area.

Above: The flood study area.

The hydraulic model that was developed as part of the Darling River Flood Mapping Study will be updated as part of the present study to include details of the December 2022 flood, after which time it will be used to define the nature of flooding on the Darling River floodplain for a wide range of design flood events. The Central Darling Shire Flood Risk Management Study and Plan is being undertaken by Council with funding assistance from the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.

Council has established a Flood Risk Management Committee which is comprised of relevant council members, state government agencies and community representatives. Have Your Say on Flood Risk Management An important step in the preparation of the Central Darling Shire Flood Risk Management Study and Plan is the gathering of information on historic flood behaviour and an appraisal of what flood related issues are important to the community. The attached questionnaire has been provided to residents and businesses to assist the Consultant in gathering this important information.

All information provided will remain confidential and for use in this study only.

Community consultation closes on Friday 29 November 2024.

A questionnaire to provide your feedback is available from Council offices or can be downloaded from the Council's website.