BACKGROUND Powells Creek is a small southern tributary of the Parramatta River and Saleyards Creek is the major tributary of Powells Creek (Figure 1). The total catchment area of Powells Creek to Homebush Bay Drive is 8.1 km2 and Saleyards Creek to the confluence with Powells Creek is 3.2 km2.

The Powells Creek catchment is located in Sydney’s Inner West region, approximately 12 kilometres west of the CBD. The catchment includes the suburbs (or parts) of Burwood, Concord West, Homebush, Homebush West, North Strathfield, Strathfield and Rookwood (cemetery). Approximately 77% of the catchment is within the Strathfield Municipal Council (SMC) local government area (LGA), 15% is within City of Canada Bay Council, 5% is within Burwood Council LGA and 3% (Rookwood cemetery) within Auburn LGA. Saleyards Creek is predominantly within the SMC LGA apart from Rookwood cemetery.

The Powells Creek catchment drains to Homebush Bay on the Parramatta River via an open channel and a series of inlet pits and pipes. Sydney Water Corporation (SWC) owns the larger “trunk” drainage assets including the open channel and the smaller pipe and pit networks are owned by the various councils.

The current study concerns the part of the Burwood LGA within the Powells Creek catchment.

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this Flood Study is to identify mainstream and overland flow flooding (where there is no defined channel) in order to define the existing flood liability within the catchment. This objective is achieved through the development of a suitable hydrologic and hydraulic modelling platform that can subsequently be used as the basis for a future Floodplain Risk Management Study and Plan for the study area, and to assist Council when undertaking flood-related planning decisions for existing and future developments.

The primary objectives of the study are to: • prepare suitable models of the catchment and floodplain for use in subsequent detailed overland flow studies and a Floodplain Risk Management Study; • provide results for flood behaviour in terms of design flood levels, depths, velocities, flows and flood extents within the study area; • prepare maps of provisional hydraulic categories and provisional hazard categories; and • assess the sensitivity of flood behaviour to potential climate change effects such as increases in rainfall intensities and sea level rise.