The town of Narrabri is located within the floodplain of the Namoi River in the north-west of North South Wales. About ten major floods have inundated the town this century. The duration of inundation can be lengthy. As well as the risks to property and life, the duration of flooding in the town places significant social pressures on the town's people and increases the risk of disease through the absence of sewerage treatment, water and electricity services. A large proportion of residential land, the Central Business District and industrial areas would flood to a depth of 1.0-1.5m in a 100 year flood. About 40% of all houses and nearly 70% of all businesses would be flooded above floor level in such a flood. Overall, the primary objectives of floodplain management options should be that:

• they reduce the impact of flooding and flood liability on land owners and occupiers;
• the growth in flood damages be contained by ensuring that new development takes into account the susceptibility of land to flooding;
• they are socially equitable as well as not causing flood conditions at neighbouring properties to become worse from existing conditions.