Harrington Park lies within the Narellan Creek catchment, which is itself a tributary of the Nepean River. Harrington Park is situated in south - western Sydney approximately 65 km from the CBD, and covers an area of approximately 8 km2. The Narellan Creek local catchment covers an area of approximately 35 km2, and contains the suburbs of Narellan, Narellan Vale, Smeaton Grange, Harrington Park, Currans Hill, Mount Annan, Elderslie and Kirkham. The Study Area has recently undergone a period of rapid urbanisation, with many areas that were previously farmland being converted to residential areas including Narellan Vale, Smeaton Grange and Elderslie. Portions of the catchment are also located within the South West Growth Centre for NSW and expect to undergo growth in the future.
Flooding along Narellan Creek can be attributed to both local catchment flooding as well as backwater flooding from the Nepean River. The Nepean River Valley has a history of frequent flooding and has a catchment that extends as far as Mittagong in the Southern Highlands. The catchment covers an area of approximately 1,400 km2 upstream of Narellan Creek. The majority of developed areas in the Narellan Creek catchment are above the level of flooding from the Nepean River. However, these properties may face a risk of flooding due to local catchment runoff which is the focus of this study.
The proposed flood mitigation works will form an integral part of the flood mitigation measures maintained by Camden Council to achieve the following objectives:
- Reduce 1% AEP flood levels in Harrington Park and Fairwater Gardens;
- Assess and address the flood impacts of the PMF in Harrington Park and Fairwater Gardens;
- Mitigate flood impacts on the properties subject to 1% AEP over-floor inundation in Harrington Park.
