Cardno were commissioned by Shoalhaven City Council to undertake the Floodplain Risk Management Study and Plan for the Broughton Creek catchment.

Flooding in the Broughton Creek catchment can pose a hazard to some residents and properties near creeks and overland flowpaths. The purpose of this study is to identify and examine options for the management of flooding and make recommendations for actions to be adopted as part of the Floodplain Risk Management Plan.

The Broughton Creek catchment area is approximately 518 km². Agricultural industry is the major land use within the catchment, with extensive areas utilised for dairy and beef cattle grazing in private pasture production. The township of Berry is the only urban area within the catchment.

In the past, flooding in the catchment has caused property damage and posed a hazard to residents. Significant flood events occurred in 2011, 2005, 2002, 1988 and 1974.

The flooding behaviour of the catchment was found to fall into three distinct groups:

• Flooding caused / governed by major creek flooding (such as Broughton Creek, Broughton Mill Creek and Bundewallah Creek)
• Flooding caused / governed by local creek flooding (such as Town Creek, and Hitchcocks Lane Creek)
• Flooding caused by backwater effects from the Shoalhaven River

Full details of the flood behaviour of the catchment can be sourced from the Broughton Creek Floodplain Risk Management Study (Cardno, 2012). The Floodplain Risk Management Study investigated what could be done to reduce or manage the effects of flooding in the catchment, and recommended a mix of strategies to manage the risks of flooding. The Floodplain Risk Management Plan details the resulting ranked flood, emergency and property modification measures.