Australia: Coffs Harbour Project to Include Dredging

Coffs Harbour City Council has made its Flood Mitigation Programme a priority.

The Programme is forecast to cost $12m. The funds have been secured through a $6m loan and a special rate variation that will raise $6m.

The construction of flood detention basins are a key part of the Programme. The $2.5m Bakers Road Detention Basin was completed in September 2010. In June 2012, work began on a second $3.1m basin at Bennetts Road which is due to be completed by the end of the year. Plans for a third basin at Spagnolos Road are also underway.

The first stage of Council’s $400,000 Flood Early Warning System has been installed comprising of eight early warning monitoring stations. The system will eventually include sites on Coffs Creek, Newports Creek, Middle Creek and Woolgoolga.

Once completed, the system will provide additional – and virtually live – rainfall and water level data for the emergency services, Bureau of Meteorology and Council. This data will be used to provide more timely and accurate flood warnings, to help in the decision-making for flood response and emergency management.

In addition to the Flood Early Warning System and basins, a series of stormwater drainage projects to help alleviate local flooding issues and protect property is also underway.

Old rail bridge piers in Coffs Creek at Orlando Street have been removed to ease the water flow and investigations are also on-going into the options for dredging sand from Coffs Creek and the Harbour.

Work is also progressing on flood alleviation projects outside of the city centre with a flood study under way for the Orara River, Bucca Bucca Creek and Woolgoolga Creek.

Similarly, local residents from Moonee to Woolgoolga have been asked for any information they may have on floods in their areas – such as photographs, flood markers and rainfall records – to help Council collate a full picture of possible flood issues on the Northern Beaches.

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Press Release, July 11, 2013