A Floodplain Risk Management Study and Plan (FRMS&P) for the Beverley Park catchment has been prepared by Cardno Lawson Treloar for Kogarah Council. The FRMS&P identify and examine options for the management of flooding within the Beverley Park catchment floodplain and is prepared in accordance with the NSW Government Floodplain Development Manual (2005).

A locality plan can be found in Figure 1.1. The outline of the study area can be found in Figure 1.2.

Study Context

This study consists of the two stages of the multiple stages of the Floodplain Management process which includes:

• Formation of a Floodplain Management Committee
• Data Collection
• Flood Study
• Floodplain Risk Management Study
• Floodplain Risk Management Plan
• Implementation of Floodplain Risk Management Plan.

The study was jointly funded by Council and the Department of Natural Resources. The Department also assists in the provision of specialist advice on flooding and related matters.

Study Objectives

The objectives of the Floodplain Risk Management Study are to:

• review Councils existing environmental planning policies and instruments including Councils long-term planning strategies for the study area
• identify works, measures and restrictions aimed at reducing the social, environmental and economic impacts of flooding and the losses caused by flooding on development and the community, both existing and future, over the full range of potential flood events
• assess the effectiveness of these works and measures for reducing the effects of flooding on the community and development, both existing and future
• consider whether the proposed works and measures might produce adverse effects (environmental, social, economic or worsened flooding) in the floodplain and whether they can be minimised
• examine the present flood warning system, community flood awareness and emergency response measures in the context of the NSW State Emergency Service's development and disaster planning requirements
• examine ways in which the creek and floodplain environment may be enhanced by exploring the possibility of a strategy for vegetation planning that may create a valuable corridor of vegetation without having a detrimental effect on flooding, and
• identify modifications that are required to current policies in light of the investigations.

The objectives of the Floodplain Risk Management Plan are to identify actions for implementation to:

• reduce the flood hazard and risk to people and property in the existing community and to ensure future development is controlled in a manner consistent with the flood hazard and risk
• reduce private and public losses due to flooding
• protect and where possible enhance the creek and floodplain environment
• be consistent with the objectives of relevant state policies
• ensure that the floodplain management plan is fully integrated with Council's existing corporate, business and strategic plans, meets Councils obligations under relevant Acts and has the support of the local community
• ensure actions arising out of the management plan are sustainable in social, environmental, ecological and economic terms
• ensure that the floodplain management plan is fully integrated with the flood response procedure and is flexible to accommodate provisions from other relevant catchment management plans
• establish a program for implementation and a mechanism for the funding of the plan and should include priorities, staging, funding, responsibilities, constraints and monitoring.