APOLOGIES
Cr Tim Koschel Wagga Wagga City Council
Craig Ronan State Emergency Service (SES)
PRESENT
Cr Vanessa Keenan Wagga Wagga City Council
Cr Rod Kendall Wagga Wagga City Council
Jenny Rolfe Community Member – dialled in to the meeting
Brian Mahony Community Member
Ros Prangnell Community Member
Patricia Murray Community Member
IN ATTENDANCE
Barry Griffiths State Emergency Service (SES)
Steve Manwaring Office of Environment and Heritage
Caroline Angel Commercial Operations Sector Director
Sam Robins Town Planner
Mark Gardiner Manager Environment & City Compliance
Adriaan Stander Strategic Planning Coordinator
Peter Ross Manager Technical and Strategy
Kate Roberts Project Communications Officer
Darryl Woods Manager Council Businesses
S Otieno Manager Operations
Michael Friend Co-opted Community Member
Greg Gilmour Co-opted Community Member
Fiona Ziff Co-opted Community Member
Felix Taaffe GRC Hydro
Cath Goonan WMAwater
Erin Askew WMAwater
Maree Ingram Administration Coordinator (Minute Taker)
The meeting of the Floodplain Risk Management Advisory Committee commenced at 8.40am.
Acknowledgement Of Country
I would like to Acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of this Land, on which this meeting takes place and to pay my respects to Elders past and present.
At this stage of the meeting the Committee elected to bring forward RP-2 NORTH WAGGA FLOODPLAIN to allow Committee member Jenny Rolfe to be a part of the discussion relating to this report and to enable a resolution to be made in respect to the report.
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On the Motion of Councillor V Keenan and P Murray That the Committee: a receive and note this report b receive a detailed communications engagement plan at the next meeting of the Committee on 6 August 2019, in respect to the Wagga Wagga Villages Floodplain Risk Management Study and Plan c receive a detailed communications engagement plan at the 1 October 2019 Committee meeting, relating to the recommendations identified in the Wagga Wagga Revised Floodplain Risk Management Study and Plan. |
Discussion on the Report
Discussion centred on the development of the Wagga Wagga Floodplain Risk Management Study and Plan with co-opted members from North Wagga raising concerns about the processes undertaken by Council in the development of the Plan.
OEH representative Steve Manwaring advised that Council has been following due process and policy however North Wagga is a difficult situation. He said that the 2015 Public Works Department report, referred to by the North Wagga co-opted members, was of a financial nature and did not include any social aspects. It was very simplified with third party impacts not highly considered.
Caroline Angel advised that the 2015 PWD report was a preliminary report that was developed to inform the next stage of the process and was based on a civil works earthenware levee. It was financial based and did not include social or environmental factors.
Fiona Ziff entered the meeting at 9am
Advice from Steve Manwaring is that levees are only in place to protect properties not lives.
Advice from SES is that preservation of life is the SES’s first priority in a flood event and that if a 1in 100 year flood is predicted then North Wagga would be evacuated.
Caroline Angel advised that following adoption of the Plan by Council, funding is now being sought to enable the implementation of a number actions within the Plan. Without an adopted Plan, further funding could not be sought. The North Wagga feasibility Study is one of the first priorities of the Plan however other activities require attention as well.
Caroline Angel advised that feedback will be sought from the Committee for the scope of works relating to the Flood Mitigation Option Feasibility Study for North Wagga and Floodplain Residents.
Fiona Ziff provided all present with a copy of a submission made to the Government by the North Wagga Wagga Residents Association to the Minister for Energy and Environment, The Hon Matt Kean MP. The letter related to the mandatory management by Wagga Wagga City Council in respect to the mitigation of flood risk to residents living in the Wagga Wagga Floodplain, by way of regular flood studies and management plans as directed by the NSW Ste Government’s 2005 Flood Prone Land Policy (the State Policy).
Cr Kendall advised that there was no truth in the comments that Council had resolved not to spend any funds on North Wagga and also that it is not fair to categorise a 1 in 100 year levee as absolute protection as levees are not built to a Maximum Possible Flood (MPF) which still will pose a threat to North Wagga residents and property, even though it ticks insurance boxes.
Cr Kendall also stated that it must be noted that the FRMAC makes recommendations to Council and it is ultimately Council that makes the decisions. The intention is that the Committee is not dominated by Councillors or by any particular people. North Wagga residents have been represented on the committee in the past and recently had the opportunity to apply for representation again on the committee.
Jenny Rolfe left the meeting at 9.15am
Cr Rod Kendall left the meeting at 10.15am
Brian Mahony left the meeting at 10.15am
CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES
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As there was no quorum at this stage of the meeting it was the decision of the members present that the confirmation of the Minutes of the proceedings of the Floodplain Risk Management Advisory Committee Meeting held on 7 May 2019, be deferred to the next Committee meeting. |
Declarations Of Interest
No Declarations received
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As there was no quorum at this stage of the meeting, this report was only noted and no resolution was made.
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A presentation was made by representatives from WMAwater in respect to the Major Overland Flood Flow Risk Management Study as well as a presentation from GRCHydro in respect to the Wagga Wagga Villages Floodplain Risk Management Study and Plan.
There was also an update provided to attendees by project managers and a general discussion took place.
QUESTIONS WITH NOTICE
No Questions With Notice were received.
The Floodplain Risk Management Advisory Committee rose at 11.15am.