Central Coast Council will coordinate and convene a meeting next week regarding flood management around Tuggerah Lakes.
The announcement follows a request from Member for The Entrance, David Mehan.
A spokesperson said Council would coordinate the meeting between its staff, local MPs and relevant external response agencies following a meeting held on May 5 with local representatives to discuss flood preparedness and response.
“The meeting is scheduled for the week commencing Monday, August 22, and is intended to inform continual improvement in flood response and recovery,” the spokesperson said.
Mehan said that after the experience of four significant floods in the past three years and noting the most recent flood peaked at 1.72m which was higher than any other flood since 2007, a review of preparedness was appropriate.
“Changes made to local flood arrangements following a 2020 meeting have improved Central our flood response and include an updated local flood plan; new flood warning levels and an arrangement in place to open the channel,” he said.
But Mehan said there were reports that residents around the lake had not received evacuation orders during the most recent flood event and the breakdown of telecommunications towers in the Wyong valley meant that all agencies needed to determine what they could do to improve our flood response.
“Council has been vital in co-ordinating these meetings and should be acknowledged for its continued efforts in assisting with improving our flood response,” he said.
Terry Collins