Study Context

The preparation of this plan follows on from the Flood Study (WMA, 2006) and Floodplain Risk Management Study (Cardno Lawson Treloar, 2007a) and forms the fifth stage of the Floodplain Risk Management Process which includes:

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

As prescribed in the floodplain management process, the Narrabeen Lagoon Joint Estuary Floodplain Management Committee was formed. Warringah Council, under the direction of this Committee, previously commissioned the Flood Study (WMA, 2006) and have now commission Cardno Lawson Treloar to concurrently undertake the Floodplain Risk Management Study and Floodplain Risk Management Plan. To develop the Plan, the findings of the Floodplain Risk Management Study (Cardno Lawson Treloar, 2007a) were extensively utilised.

Study Purpose

The purpose of this plan is 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;
• where possible, protect and enhance the creek and floodplain environment;
• be consistent with the objectives of relevant state policies, in particular, the Government’s Flood Prone Lands and State Rivers and Estuaries Policies and satisfy the objectives and requirements of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979;
• ensure that the floodplain management plan is fully integrated with Council's existing corporate, business and strategic plans, existing and proposed planning proposals, meets Councils obligations under relevant Acts and has the support of the local community;
• ensure that the floodplain management plan is fully integrated with the flood response procedure and other relevant catchment management plans; and
• establish a program for implementation and a mechanism for the funding of the plan and should include priorities, staging, funding, responsibilities, constraints and monitoring.

Related Plans of Management and Strategies

There are a wide range of related plans of management and strategies that have been considered during the preparation of this plan. These include:

• The Warringah Council Creek Management Strategy (MWH, 2004);
• Warringah Development Control Plan (2005);
• Sydney Regional Environment Plan No. 21 – Warringah Urban Release Areas;
• Warringah Council Local Environmental Plan (LEP) 2000; and
• Manly, Warringah and Pittwater DISPLAN (2004).

Community Consultation

Community consultation was undertaken as part of the preparation of the South Creek Floodplain Risk Management Study (Cardno Lawson Treloar, 2007a) through a resident survey in June 2007 on possible floodplain management options.

Both the Floodplain Risk Management Study and the Floodplain Risk Management Plan have been publicly exhibited concurrently during October and November 2007. Community comments were received via written submissions and the returned feedback forms provided during the public exhibition period.

The responses received during both consultation periods have been incorporated into the final documents.

Plan Outline

This Plan covers the following details:

• Summary of catchment characteristics (Section 2);
• Description of the existing flood behaviour and impacts (Section 3);
• Summary of flood modification actions for implementation (Section 4);
• Summary of property modification actions for implementation (Section 5);
• Summary of emergency response modification actions for implementation (Section 6);
• Summary of bank management action for implementation (Section 7); and
• Implementation action plan (Section 8).