Call for more flood protection at The Entrance

Member for The Entrance David Mehan has called for action to reduce flood risk at The Entrance, saying the sand build-up in The Entrance Channel and Karagi Point berm is at least as great as that which existed before the 2020 flood.

Mehan said while he noted Central Coast Council now had an emergency opening procedure in place for the channel, more could be done to make this more effective.

He said this should include regular earthworks to maintain the berm height in a more flood-ready condition and, regular emergency opening drills to ensure that the opening procedure is practised and can be enacted as quickly as possible.

“Flood conditions can develop quickly and when they do we need to act quickly,” Mehan said.

“The only way for flood waters to drain away is through The Entrance Channel.

“Having the channel berm in a flood-ready condition and crews in place to open the channel will ensure that when floods occur, we reduce flood impact as much as possible.”

A spokesperson said Council currently monitored the channel condition in real time via remote cameras, satellite imagery and gauges that monitor tidal range within the estuary and forecasts catchment inflows and lake heights.

“This allows early intervention at The Entrance Channel if a flood event is expected,” the spokesperson said.

“The Karagi sandspit has recently been prepared to allow intervention actions to occur should they be required to minimise the impact of flooding on low-lying areas.

“The foreshores of Tuggerah Lakes, however, will always be flood prone, regardless of the channel configuration, due to the size of the catchment.

“Council encourages foreshore residents to be flood-ready by understanding their local flood risk, planning for what to do if a flood occurs, getting their property ready, staying informed and looking out for each other.”