Stormwater upgrades needed to respond to extreme weather events

In 2022 we experienced the wettest July on record.

Our Civil Defence team and Council staff work through these events to ensure our infrastructure is functioning, any issues are found, main roads remain accessible, and signage is placed in busy areas where extreme caution is required – all so any risks to residents is minimised.

Having well-functioning stormwater infrastructure is key to our community getting through these events. Recent significant rain events have helped identify parts of our network that need to be upgraded.

At the peak of the July event Council received more than 1650 calls resulting in more than 600 requests for support.

With the climate changing we expect there to be more regular instances of heavy rainfall which cause flooding across the District.

In the aftermath of weather events, we work through these service requests which involve on-site visits, discussion with property owners, looking at Council infrastructure and putting in place fixes where possible.

These extreme weather events and the subsequent flooding means we have had to make immediate improvements to the stormwater network.

While this work is essential, it will significantly affect some areas of the District (like low-lying coastal areas) more than others.

To date the Council has spent $3.82m as part of emergency and immediate works due to these weather events.

However, the job is not finished yet. There is a further $7.8m required to undertake fixes to the network and necessary stormwater upgrades over the next eight years that will significantly reduce the flooding risk of these extreme events.

OPTIONS:

A: Council’s preference

The community sees value in spending on stormwater infrastructure that will make the District more resilient to extreme weather and heavy rainfall events.

B: The proposal is declined

The community does not support further investment in stormwater infrastructure. Without this investment the risk of flooding during large storm events remains the same.