This report documents the Burrill Lake Floodplain Risk Management Study and Plan which investigates and presents a flood risk management strategy for the catchment. The study identifies the existing flooding characteristics and canvasses various measures to mitigate the effects of flooding. The end product is the Floodplain Management Plan, which describes how flood liable lands within the Burrill Lake catchment are to be managed in the future.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

What is this Plan about and how has it been developed? The Burrill Lake Floodplain Risk Management Study and Plan (FRM Plan) has been developed to direct and co-ordinate the future management of flood prone lands beside Burrill Lake. It also aims to educate the community about flood risks around Burrill Lake, so that they can make more appropriate and informed decisions regarding their individual exposure and responses to flood risks. The FRM Plan sets out a strategy of short term and long term actions and initiatives that are to be pursued by agencies and the community in order to adequately address the risks posed by flooding. The FRM Plan covers the Burrill Lake floodplains incorporating the main urban developments of Dolphin Point, Burrill Lake, Bungalow Park and Kings Point. Emphasis is placed on the flood prone parts of the villages around the Burrill Inlet. This FRM Plan is the culmination of many years of studies and on-going research that have aimed to understand the nature and extent of flooding across the Burrill Lake catchment. Development of the FRM Plan has been guided by the NSW Government‟s Floodplain Development Manual (2005). The structure of this FRM Plan is presented in Figure A1. In essence this Plan assessed the current management of risks to life and property from floods in Burrill Lake against the principles for floodplain management as outlined in the Floodplain Development Manual. Current floodplain risk management is a legacy of past works and actions, and also the flood environment of Burrill Lake – that is, flooding can occur as a result of flooding from the local catchments, ocean flooding from elevated water levels in the ocean (tide and storm surge) and low-level persistent flooding from elevated Lake levels during periods of closure. Low-level persistent flooding may also become more frequent when the entrance is open with typically higher tidal levels associate with potential sea level rise. Based on the considered gaps and short-comings of current risk management, this FRM Plan reviews potential alternative risk management options and then formulates a future flood management strategy. The strategy includes both short term works and actions as well as longer term initiatives. The short term works and actions have been chosen to give maximum priority benefit while also being readily implementable within envisaged affordable budgets. Implementation is still, however, subject to this albeit limited funding - customarily allocated year by year.