A new Dredging and Water Management Advisory Panel will be formed to provide advice and recommendations on all matters involving dredging and the management of waterways on the Central Coast.
After prolonged debate, councillors voted 8-7 at the March 25 Central Coast Council meeting to create the committee.
The idea was put forward by Councillor Rachel Stanton, who said it was imperative to assess all solutions to reduce flooding and its impacts across the local area.
“We need a proactive approach to flood mitigation with a key focus on floodplain management to ensure residents are protected during weather events,” she said.
“A comprehensive review is required to find the best way forward and enable well informed decision making.”
Stanton said the committee she was proposing would report back to the environment and planning committee and then Council in a few months.
She said she wants to see the community better off and the panel would be goal-oriented.
Stanton said residents had experienced extreme flooding, in particular over the past five years, including at least two major flood events reaching heights of 1.67-1.72m and many minor and moderate floods in between.
“There are around 120,000 people who live and work around Tuggerah Lake and are affected during flood events, with residents in Chittaway Bay and Chittaway Point unable to enter or exit their road and properties,” Stanton wrote as background to her motion.
“Notable flooding also occurs in Ourimbah Creek and Wyong River.
“These same waterways are no longer safe for recreational activities, such as boating, due to sand build up, and poor water quality and wrack management has led to decreased public amenity.”
Stanton said Council had formerly owned and operated a dredge but this had been decommissioned and there were limited guidelines and frameworks in place within Council to manage the issue.
“It is imperative that we assess solutions to reduce flooding and its impacts across the local area and improve the quality and usability of our waterways,” she said.
“A panel that involves contributions from Council staff, expert opinion and community perspectives, enables a united approach to this complex issue and will provide a better, more proactive and sustainable management of our waterways.”
Councillor Belinda Neal put forward an amendment to Stanton’s motion, saying it was too late for more studies, she wanted action on completing the Coastal Management Plan for Tuggerah Lakes as quickly as possible and formalising an agreement with Lake Macquarie Council on sharing a dredge.
Stanton said there was nothing in her motion that proposed more reports; it would bring stakeholders together to discuss and evaluate and come to a conclusion together.
Her motion was supported by fellow Liberals and Team Central Coast 8 against the Labor councillors and two independents 7.
Earlier, resident Graham Hankin had addressed the issue at the Public Forum.
He spoke on flood mitigation at the Open Forum four years ago when Dick Persson was the Administrator.
He said the current notice of motion would see yet another advisory panel on dredging and water management
He said it was no doubt well intended but it was confusing on three counts.
“Firstly, it duplicates the responsibilities of the recently approved Catchment to Coast Advisory Committee,” Hankin said.
“Secondly, it proposes further reviews and delays.
“Thirdly, it does not recognise the critical timing for access to a new dredge.
“This procrastination in making a decision has already caused a massive financial and emotional toll on the community.”
He said there had been 25 reviews of Tuggerah Lakes in the past five years and all had proposed “maintenance dredging”.
“Councillors need to know that in the last five years there have been five expert consultant reports on dredging, 25 Council resolutions, six Mayoral Minutes and Notices of Motion,” he said.
One of those reports, in 2021, recommended that the Entrance Management Plan and flood mitigation should be based on two key criteria – “maintenance dredging” and an “early opening of the beach berm”.
It was the same recommendation from a 2014 report.
“Repetition is the enemy of progress,” he said.
He outlined the cost of doing nothing.
“We know that the total cost to Council from the February 2020 flood was $4,740,295,” he said.
“We know that the combined cost to the community for the 2020 and 2022 floods was approximately $25M.
“And we know that flood insurance premiums for Tuggerah Lakes residents are now prohibitive.”
He said his community group was requesting that Council endorse “maintenance dredging” as a matter of principle.
Merilyn Vale
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