Richmond Valley Council is seeking community feedback on a new flood model and study for its local government area (LGA). The Draft Richmond Valley Flood Study 2023 (the Study) aims to provide an improved and more accurate understanding of flood behaviour and hazard for the Richmond Valley Council LGA by replacing at least four existing studies with a single comprehensive model.
The new digital flood model has been calibrated to a number of historic flood events, including the Feb/Mar 2022 flood, and simulates flooding for almost 85% of the LGA’s floodplains for a range of ‘design flood’ events, including the:
- 2 percent Annual Exceedance Probability (AEP) (previously referred to as a 1 in 50 year Average Recurrence Interval (ARI)),
- 1 percent AEP (or 1 in 100 year ARI),
- 1 percent plus Climate Change Scenario 3,
- 0.2 percent AEP (or 1 in 500 year ARI), and
- the Probably Maximum Flood (PMF).
The Study is supported by a report (volume 1) which includes technical details on building the hydraulic and hydrologic models, calibration to historic flood events, and the Flood Frequency Analysis (FFA) to define flood parameters for the ‘design flood’ events. Volume 2 of the report contains pdf mapping for the ‘design floods’, including peak flood levels (metres AHD), peak depth, peak velocity & direction of flow, and hazard categorisation.
Interactive digital mapping from the Draft Flood Study can be viewed within Council’s Online Map Viewer. Basic instructions on how to access the flood mapping and use the Map Viewer are available here.”
At the completion of the Flood Study Council will commence the next phase of Floodplain Management with the preparation of a Floodplain Risk Management Plan for the LGA.
The study will be open for community feedback from Monday, 3 July 2023, with written submissions closing at midnight Sunday, 13 August 2023. The study reports, and online digital mapping are available below
Any person may make written submissions by addressing them to the General Manager and delivering by:
- post to—Richmond Valley Council, Locked Bag 10, Casino NSW 2470, or
- email to—council@richmondvalley.nsw.gov.au , or
- online—completion of an online submission form, or
- hand to—Council’s Customer Service Centres at Casino or Evans Head.
Council will be joined by representatives from BMT consulting, who prepare the Study, for two community drop-in information sessions at:
- Casino Community and Cultural Centre, Walker Street Casino—Wednesday, 26 July 2023 from 1pm to 6pm
- Evans Head Library Meeting Room, Woodburn Street Evans Head—Thursday, 27 July 2023 from 12 noon to 4pm.
For all enquiries, please contact Council on (02) 66600300.
