Flood assessment and water management strategy may be needed for flood-prone or large sites.
A Flood Impact and Risk Assessment (FIRA) may be required where a proposal is on flood prone land, prepared in line with the FIRA Guide and Planning Circular PS 26-001. A water cycle and stormwater management strategy may also be needed for greenfield, large-scale or riparian sites to show water quantity and quality can be managed. The section guides scope rather than imposing a fixed rule.
This guideline sets out the technical information a planning proposal must supply where land is flood prone or where the site is greenfield, large-scale, or next to a river/creek (riparian) corridor. Its purpose is to make sure that flood risk and the whole water cycle (drainage, stormwater quality and quantity) are properly assessed before land is rezoned or intensified, so that new development does not create or worsen flooding and can manage the water it generates. The main tool is a Flood Impact and Risk Assessment (FIRA), which examines how the proposal performs across the full range of flood events rather than just one flood level.
Relevant planning authorities and proponents preparing planning proposals (rezonings) in NSW where the land is flood prone or is a greenfield, large-scale, or riparian-corridor site.
Triggered when a planning proposal is identified on flood prone land (FIRA), or where the proposal is for a greenfield or large-scale site or a site alongside a riparian corridor (water cycle and stormwater management strategy).
Relies on the FIRA Guide (Flood Impact and Risk Assessment – Flood Risk Management Guide LU01) and Planning Circular PS 26-001 Flooding and land use planning – Attachment A to set the scope and category of the assessment.
A FIRA may be required where a proposal is on flood prone land, and it should be prepared in accordance with the FIRA Guide (Flood Risk Management Guide LU01) covering the full range of flood events.
When determining the scope and category of the FIRA, the requirements in the FIRA guide and in Planning Circular PS 26-001 Flooding and land use planning – Attachment A should be considered.
Such a strategy may be required for greenfield or large-scale planning proposal sites, or sites located alongside riparian corridors.
The proposal must show the quantity and quality of water can be managed within the proposed development, and where feasible serve a dual purpose such as passive public open space.
Directly relevant to Kiama. Low-lying and creek/estuary areas around Kiama, Minnamurra, Gerringong and Werri are flood prone, so most planning proposals seeking to rezone or intensify such land would need a FIRA assessing the full range of flood events. Larger or greenfield rezonings on the LGA's rural-residential fringe, and any sites beside riparian corridors, would also need a water cycle and stormwater management strategy demonstrating water quantity and quality can be managed on site, ideally doubling as public open space.
1.2 Flood Risk and Water Management A Flood Impact and Risk Assessment (FIRA) may be required where a proposal is identified on flood prone land. It should be prepared in accordance with the FIRA Guide Flood Impact and Risk Assessment – Flood Risk Management Guide LU01 for the full range of flood events. When determining the scope and category of the FIRA the requirements outlined in the FIRA guide and in Planning Circular PS 26-001 Flooding and land use planning – Attachment A should be considered. A water cycle and stormwater management strategy may be required for greenfield or large-scale planning proposal sites, or sites located alongside riparian corridors. The proposal needs to demonstrate that the quantity and quality of water can be managed within the proposed development and if feasible have dual purpose e.g. use as passive public open space.
Reproduced from the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (planning.nsw.gov.au), © State of New South Wales, under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. Text extraction may introduce minor formatting artefacts — rely on the official source for anything decision-critical.
This is an unofficial reproduction provided for convenience. It is not the official version of the legislation. For the official, in-force version, see legislation.nsw.gov.au.