The Cooks River drains a catchment of approximately 100 square kilometres in the south-western suburbs of Sydney. The river originates as a small watercourse near the Chullora railway workshops and flows some 23 kilometres in a generally eastern direction to enter Botany Bay just south of Kingsford Smith Airport. Prior to discharging into Botany Bay, the Cooks River is joined by a number of tributaries, the most significant being Coxs Creek which drains the Punchbowl area, Cup and Saucer Creek which enters near Canterbury, Wolli Creek which begins in Beverly Hills and Sheas Creek which drains the Alexandria area and enters the Cooks River via Alexandra Canal.

The Cooks River Floodplain Risk Management Plan (FRMP) has been prepared to provide the basis for future management of the floodplain of the Cooks River within the Inner West Council LGA. It does not include management of the flood problem within the “overland” flow areas upstream of the Cooks River flood extent. The FRMP has also been prepared in accordance with the NSW Floodplain Development Manual and:

• is based on a comprehensive and detailed evaluation of factors that affect and are affected by the use of flood prone land;
• represents the considered opinion of the local community on how to best manage its flood risk and its flood prone land; and
• provides a long-term path for the future development of the community.