EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Bewsher Consulting Pty Ltd are specialist flood risk management consultants who
were commissioned by Wollongong City Council, with financial assistance from the
Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water (DECCW), to prepare a
Floodplain Risk Management Study and Plan for the floodplains of Fairy and Cabbage Tree Creeks, which are located to the north and west of the Wollongong CBD.

The study was overseen by the Fairy and Cabbage Tree Creeks Floodplain
Management Committee, which comprised councillors and staff from Council, officers
from DECCW, the State Emergency Service (SES), the Department of Planning (DoP),
the Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA), the Mineral Resources Division and BHP Minerals
(Illawarra Coal) as well as several community representatives.

Principal Outcomes

The principal outcomes of this study include:

• Extensive consultation with the community (Chapter 3);

• A revision of previous flood studies, with improved estimates of flood extents, levels
  and depths for the 20%, 5%, 2% and 1% Annual Exceedance Probability (AEP) events
  and the probable maximum flood (PMF) (BMT WBM, 2009);

• Estimation of the High, Medium and Low flood risk precincts (and an interim riparian
  corridor) used for planning and development control, plus flood sensitivity
  assessments for an erodible beach bar and for climate change (Chapter 4);

• Definition of the flood problem by construction of a Flood Damages Database, which quantifies flood damages and records information on existing potentially flood
  affected properties within the study area up to the PMF (Chapter 5);

• A detailed evaluation of potential floodplain management measures to reduce flood
  damages to existing development (Chapter 6);

• A recommended Floodplain Risk Management Plan (FRMP) for the Fairy and Cabbage Tree Creeks floodplains (Chapter 7).