Lansdowne is located approximately 15 kilometres upstream along the Lansdowne River from the confluence of the Manning River. The Manning valley was first settled in the early nineteenth century and due to the importance of streams as transport routes for primary produce, numerous settlements were located adjacent to rivers below the tidal limit. In this way, the village of Lansdowne is located close to the tidal limit of the Lansdowne River, which is approximately two kilometres downstream from the railway bridge at Lansdowne.

The Floodplain Risk Management Study must objectively evaluate all possible strategies that will manage the aforementioned flood risks to acceptable levels. In order to be successful, the study will:

a. be congruent with any relevant, current Greater Taree City Council flood risk management policies, strategies or planning instruments; b. gather community input, enable participation in the decision making process and gain acceptance of the management study findings; c. determine the hazard categories within the study area; d. identify and assess floodplain risk management measures for existing developments aimed at reducing the social, environmental and economic loss of flooding, both existing and future; e. assess the impacts of proposed management measures