Introduction
Lyall & Associates has been commissioned to prepare the St Marys (Byrnes Creek) Catchment Floodplain Risk Management Study and Plan (FRMS&P) on behalf of Penrith City Council (Council) and overseen by the Penrith City Floodplain Management Committee. The Committee includes representatives from the local community, Councilors, Council Staff, NSW Department of Planning Industry and Environment (DPIE), State Emergency Services (SES), Infrastructure NSW and neighboring Councils. The study and plan are prepared in accordance with the NSW Flood Prone Land policy and the process outlined in its supporting manual.
The study area is located in the suburb of St Marys which lies about 8 km to the east of Penrith and is bounded by the Western Railway Line to the north, the St Marys Levee and the main arm of South Creek to the west, the M4 Motorway to the south and residential development to the east.
Stage 1 (Data Collection) and Stage 2 (Flood Study) of the NSW Floodplain Management Program were completed by Cardno in 2015. The document herein presents Stages 3 and 4 of the NSW State Government’s Floodplain Management Program; the St Marys (Byrnes Creek) Catchment Floodplain Risk Management Study and the St Marys (Byrnes Creek) Catchment Floodplain Risk Management Plan.
Study Objectives
The overall objectives of the Floodplain Risk Management Study (FRMS) were to assess the impacts of flooding, review existing Council policies as they relate to development of land in flood liable areas, consider measures for the management of flood affected land and to develop a Floodplain Risk Management Plan (FRMP) which:
- Proposes modifications to existing Council policies to ensure that the development of flood affected land is undertaken so as to be compatible with the flood hazard and risk.
- Sets out the recommended program of works and measures aimed at reducing over time, the social, environmental and economic impacts of flooding.
- Provides a program for implementation of the proposed works and measures.
This FRMS&P deals with local catchment flooding only, although it acknowledges the implications of mainstream flooding from the South Creek and the Hawkesbury-Nepean River, particularly in terms of emergency management.
Community consultation and public exhibition was undertaken as part of the floodplain management process. A flood questionnaire survey was sent out to more than 3,400 households within the study area to inform the community of the study, gather any additional flood information available, and assist in understanding community preferences in flood mitigation options.
