environment · Central Coast Council
Central Coast flood policy to return for public comment after proposed changes
A second exhibition has been recommended for the draft Flood Policy, giving residents and landowners another chance to comment before Central Coast Council considers adoption.
Residents and landowners across the Central Coast, including the Tuggerah Lakes catchment, are to get another chance to comment on the draft Flood Policy after proposed changes following its first public exhibition.
The Environment and Planning Committee endorsed a recommendation from the Coastal, Estuary and Floodplain Risk Management Subcommittee to note the changes and publicly exhibit the draft policy a second time before Council considers adopting it.
No date has been specified for the second exhibition or for the period it will run.
The policy will inform flood-risk management and planning decisions affecting communities and landowners in flood-prone areas. A further exhibition will allow people to review the revised wording before Council considers adoption.
The Committee also recommended adopting the Tuggerah Lakes Flood Study Review after noting minor changes made following its public exhibition. The study informs future flood planning, development assessment and risk management around the Tuggerah Lakes catchment.
A separate recommendation proposes a 12-month trial for the Tuggerah Lake opening procedure. Under the proposed change, mechanical intervention in the pilot channel would occur when the lake reached an actual level of 0.8 metres Australian Height Datum.
The Tuggerah Lake recommendation was noted by the Committee as a subcommittee recommendation. The available outcome does not clearly state whether Council adopted it.
The Somersby planning proposal was another major item considered by the Committee. It recommended that Council request a gateway determination from the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure for rezoning proposals at 945 Old Pacific Highway and 66 Myoora Road, the former Old Sydney Town site. That recommendation is an early planning step, not final rezoning approval.
The next ordinary Environment and Planning Committee meeting is scheduled for 1 September 2026. No date has been given for the Flood Policy exhibition or the proposed Tuggerah Lake trial.
Reference minutes
Central Coast Council Environment & Planning Committee, Tuesday 4 August 2026.
Key facts from the minutes
- The Committee recommended a second public exhibition of the draft Flood Policy before Council considers adoption.
- The draft policy was changed after its first public exhibition.
- The Tuggerah Lakes Flood Study Review was recommended for adoption after minor post-exhibition changes.
- A 12-month Tuggerah Lake trial was recommended using a 0.8-metre AHD trigger for mechanical intervention in the pilot channel.
- The policy and flood study may inform planning, development assessment and flood-risk management across the Tuggerah Lakes catchment.
- The next ordinary Environment and Planning Committee meeting is scheduled for 1 September 2026.
Why it matters
- A second exhibition gives residents and landowners affected by flood planning another opportunity to examine and comment on changes before Central Coast Council considers adopting the policy.