During 1992 - 1993, the Department of Water Resources carried out a flood study of the town of Forbes. This was carried out in accordance with the provisions of the NSW Floodplain Manual and is a required step in the process of preparing a Floodplain Management Plan. Following Council's acceptance of this report, Council sought funds and called tenders for carrying out a Floodplain Management Study and preparation of a Floodplain Management Plan.

In November 1993, Council approved the appointment of Sinclair Knight to carry out this study based on their proposal submitted on 11 November 1993. Approval to proceed was received in January, 1994 when work commenced on this Floodplain Management Study.

Assessment of flood damages in Forbes was carried out in conjunction with the centre for Resources and Environmental Studies (CRES) of the Australian National University. The assistance of Mr Dingle Smith and Mark Greenaway is gratefully acknowledged.