Flood Management Advisory Committee - 13 May 2026 3:30 PM

Topics

• Flood study advances with community consultation to expand
  Council’s flood modelling study has drawn positive community feedback, with residents looking for more consultation as site-specific modelling develops.
  The study may influence flood mitigation priorities for local streets, parks and low-lying areas.
• Cooks River Alliance kept in flood study, but off technical working group
  The committee agreed the Cooks River Alliance should remain involved in the broader flood project, while not joining the technical working group.
  This sets the level of influence for a key local advocacy group in flood and coastal planning.
• SES flags remaining flood hotspots on non-council roads
  SES said it is monitoring several flood hotspots, including roads that do not appear in its assistance database and may not trigger formal road-closure requests.
  Residents on affected roads may still face flooding problems even without formal escalation in SES systems.

Decisions

• Committee noted the flood management report
  The committee resolved to receive and note the report; the motion was moved and seconded and carried unanimously.
  This keeps the flood risk study moving forward and signals continued council work on flood planning for affected communities.
• Cooks River Alliance to remain involved at project level, not technical working group
  Members agreed the Cooks River Alliance should not sit on the technical working group, but should still be involved in the broader study.
  Local advocacy groups will still have input into flood planning, though not at the technical decision-making level.
• Follow-up on stakeholder engagement
  A response is to be provided regarding engagement with Mud Crabs and Cooks River Alliance, and follow-up will confirm whether an invitation was made for a Cooks River Alliance member to attend FMAC meetings before reporting back to the next meeting.
  Residents and community groups can expect clearer communication about who is involved in the flood study and how to participate.

Discussion

• Community feedback on flood modelling study
  Residents were reportedly pleased Council is undertaking the study and welcomed further consultation as modelling develops, with feedback focusing on local streets, parks and specific places.
  People living in flood-prone areas may get more chances to comment on how the modelling affects their street or park.
• Engagement with local environmental groups
  Councillor Howard पूछा about involvement of Mud Crabs and Cooks River Alliance and how the flood work intersects with the broader coastal management plan; officers confirmed the alliance attended the first community engagement session and wants to stay involved.
  Community and environmental groups are being considered in the consultation process, which may shape flood and coastal planning outcomes.
• SES hotspot monitoring
  SES reported it is up to date with training, has seen no recent floods, and is monitoring a few hotspot locations, including some roads that are not on its request-for-assistance database.
  Certain flood-prone roads may still experience issues even if they are not formally recorded in SES response systems.

Impacts

• More consultation is expected as flood modelling progresses.
• Local streets, parks and flood-prone locations may be discussed in future planning.
• Some hotspot roads may continue to face flooding issues without being in the SES assistance database.
• Community groups may have ongoing input into the broader flood study.

Places

• Cooks River (catchment / study area)
  Referenced in relation to the Cooks River Alliance and broader coastal management planning.
• Riverside Crescent (road)
  Named as one of the locations where flooding was significant enough to warrant attention.
• Illawarra Road near Wharf Street (road intersection)
  Named as a flood hotspot of concern.
• Wharf Street (road)
  Referenced as the nearby location to the Illawarra Road flood hotspot.

Next

• Provide a response to Councillor Howard about Mud Crabs and Cooks River Alliance engagement
  Before the next FMAC meeting
• Confirm whether a Cooks River Alliance member was invited to attend FMAC meetings
  Before the next FMAC meeting
• Report back on stakeholder engagement at the next FMAC meeting
  Next meeting

Extract

Flood Management Advisory Committee Meeting 13 May 2026 1 Minutes of the Flood Risk Management Advisory Committee Meeting 13 May 2026 Directorate Name Infrastructure Date / Time 13 May 2026 – 3:30pm Venue Microsoft Teams Chairperson Clr Matt Howard Voting Attendees Clr Matt Howard Clr Andrew Blake Michael Carney (SES) David Chick Pilar Lorenzo Tim Harnett Bowen Hicks Emily McGrath Matthew Murphy Non – Voting Technical Advisory Attendees Manod Wickramasinghe (IWC) David Paton (IWC) Lauren Vallejo (IWC) Hans Meijer (IWC) John Earls (IWC) Observers Tiffanie Ong (IWC) Martin Griffin (Stantec) Amir Montakhab (Stantec) David Grasby (Sydney Water) Robert Baker (SES) Richard Murphy (DCCEEW) Lachlan...