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Hawkesbury-Nepean
Hawkesbury-Nepean FloodSafe The Hawkesbury-Nepean River is one of the major river systems of NSW, draining a catchment area of 22,000 square kilometres. Exceptionally heavy rainfall in this area can lead to severe flooding.
This is worsened below Richmond by the fact that water flows into the valley much faster than it can flow out. In the largest flood of record -- which occurred in June 1867 -- flood waters reached approximately 12 metres higher than the deck of the present-day Windsor Bridge. Even larger floods than the 1867 are possible. Maps of the areas inundated in the 1867 flood are available for download. Program Overview The Hawkesbury-Nepean FloodSafe Project has several goals:
FloodSafe is the result of many government and non-government agencies coming together to meet these goals. Partner Agencies Commonwealth Bureau of Meteorology Department of Natural Resources Department of Community Services The Council of the City of Penrith Community Workshops Community workshops give you a chance to meet with SES staff and volunteers, find out about flooding in your community and develop a Family Flood Plan that meets your family's unique needs. Over the three-hour workshop, you learn about the flood threat and what effects flooding will have on your community, find out what your council and State Emergency Service Unit are already doing, talk about your concerns and get answers to your questions. Most importantly, you can find out about basic, simple measures you can take right now to help your family stay safer in floods. Displays Visiting a FloodSafe display is an excellent way of finding out about flooding on the Hawkesbury-Nepean River. You can talk to SES volunteers on how your family and/or business can be prepared for floods which includes putting together an emergency kit, knowing your evacuation routes and who to call in an emergency. Displays at events in the Hawkesbury-Nepean area, including at the Hawkesbury and Penrith Shows and Rescue Expos are a great opportunity to meet your local SES volunteers and ask questions about flooding and being flood prepared. Please contact us to request a display at your fete, show, festival or other community event. Media Events The media are important partners in community safety. The FloodSafe program includes initiatives to inform the media on the flood threat and how they can help. Media products such as community service announcements, information posters, stories and articles have been produced and can be distributed to media outlets as a way of educating the community of the flood history on the Hawkesbury-Nepean River and to warn and inform the community of what to do in flood events. You are welcome to contact us for more media information. FloodSafe Guides and Information The SES, together with local Councils, have information that may be specific to flooding in your area. FloodSafe Guides for the Blacktown, Hawkesbury, Lower Hawkesbury River and Penrith areas are available from your local SES Unit and Council. Council also have specific information on how flooding may affect your property and/or business. Flood Risk Management Planning Guides One of the key findings of the Hawkesbury-Nepean Flood Management Strategy (1998) was that the planning and construction of urban development on the floodplain must be improved to reduce the impact of flooding on people and property. To this end, the Hawkesbury-Nepean Flood Management Advisory Committee commissioned the production of flood-specific planning guidelines. The three guidelines published here are the result of a collaboration between state and local government and also involved research and testing by independent research organisations including several NSW universities (Sydney, Macquarie, Newcastle) and the CSIRO.Flood emergency management is focussed on protecting people first and then their property. The capability to evacuate people off the floodplain is the key flood emergency management strategy. The guidelines recognise that all new development should be designed and built to ensure that emergency management action can be safely and efficiently implemented when a flood threatens. The guidelines will also assist individuals and businesses to minimise the damage that would otherwise be done to their property when it is flooded. Houses and buildings cannot be moved as a flood approaches but basic modifications, some required at the time of construction, can make the difference between a total flood loss and a recoverable asset. These guidelines are voluntary and are not part of any mandatory State planning code or regulations in NSW. The guidelines are provided for the advice of individuals and organisations that are genuinely interested in producing better flood emergency risk management outcomes.
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