MEDIA RELEASE - WOLLONGONG'S STORMS MORE LESSONS FOR THE FUTURE
Wollongong City Councillor Kerrie Christian today said it was time to move beyond blame sharing approaches by the Insurance Council of Australia.
"The truth is that area had flood policies such as on-site detention for new medium density introduced 25 years ago, whereas some councils were still getting around to it as little as 5 years ago," stated Cr Christian, " but the issue is whether those policies go far enough to provide sufficient protection - and it's becoming evident that they don't."
Cr Christian said it was becoming clear that a review of the accepted engineering thinking on the amount of flood storage capacity built into subdivisions and medium density developments was essential, "I'm not a civil or hydraulics engineer, but I believe that questions such as this need to be posed."
Cr Christian also considered that it was time that the Federal Government carried its share rather than shrugging their shoulders with problems such as Wollongong's.
"Soon after the Federal Coalition Government was elected in 1996 they wiped out the urban flood mitigation funding - that has cost the community millions in flood funding - it has set our programs back years," stated Cr Christian, "it is urgent that the federal government totally restores funding to this program for not only Wollongong's sake, but those regions that are experiencing the same problems."
Wollongong Council begged and pleaded for months with Federal Coalition MP's to have the funding restored way back in 1996. Wollongong is only one of many communities having problems right around the country and there needs to be a joint effort to focus on the problems generated over decades - "Flicking the problem to the lower levels of government with the least funding to handle is not going to help these communities," stated Cr Christian.
"It is also vital that the NSW State Draft Floodplain Management Manual be gazetted," stated Cr Christian, "currently we are using the old Floodplain Development Manual."
Cr Christian explained that the new draft manual required the full range of flood flows to be considered in assessing a proposed development - including the probable maximum flood. Currently councils are only required the 1 in 100 year event, which could give a false sense of security, that as long as a development could survive that then everything would be okay.
"So it is vital that we get moving on having this manual gazetted," commented Cr Christian, "otherwise subdivisions such as those proposed for the Woonona Boral site, Sandon Point-South Thirroul will only be required to meet the 1 in 100 year flood level requirement."
The draft Manual will also require councils to set individual flood levels within their local areas and will need to be urgently addressed.
Authorised Cr Christian - Contact 0408 115 099 - 26.10.1999
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