Community input for flood studies

Thursday, 12 November 2015

We're asking people to share their local flood knowledge and experiences to help prepare overland flow flood studies.

One study is focusing on the Little Creek catchment, which includes the suburbs of St Marys, North St Marys, Oxley Park and Colyton. 

The other study area is the College, Orth and Werrington Creeks catchment which includes Werrington, Werrington County, Cambridge Park, Kingswood and Caddens as well as the Western Sydney University Kingswood campus.

Council is investing more than $450,000 in these flood studies as part of our Floodplain Risk Management Program, in addition to financial support from the State Government under its Floodplain Management Program. The studies will update Council's existing flood information, helping us plan, predict and manage the risk of flooding across the catchment. Future studies will focus on other areas, but these catchments were identified as a priority in a City-wide scoping study.

"Potential personal danger and property damage from flooding is a concern for many residents, and many have lived through previous floods. We're being proactive so Council and the community can be as prepared as possible for future flood events," Penrith City Mayor Karen McKeown said.   

"Historical observations and photos of flooding behaviour from the community are a valuable source of information which will help develop computer models of the extent and nature of potential flooding" she said.

The studies are concerned with flash flooding and overland flow, which occurs when intense rainfall exceeds the capacity of the stormwater network or creek channel, running down roads, through parks and potentially through property. In urbanised areas, overland flow has the potential to cause major damage to property and risk to life.

A letter and questionnaire has been distributed to residents and businesses in the two study areas. Residents are encouraged to provide information relating to their experiences of flooding by Friday 27 November.

For more information see our Floodplain Management page.

Information contained within this news release was correct as at Thursday, 12 November 2015.