Moruya Flood Study and Floodplain Risk Management Study and Plan

Project: Council received funding from the Disaster Risk Reduction Fund to assess flood risk in Moruya and develop a plan to manage that risk.

Timeframe: June 2023 to August 2025

Status: In progress

Cost and funding:

  • $150,000
  • The Disaster Risk Reduction Fund (DRRF) is jointly funded by the Australian and NSW Governments.

Page last updated: May 2025

Project details

We are working to:

  • determine the risks associated with flooding and options for addressing them
  • develop a plan that prioritises actions to manage and reduce the risks of flooding.

Benefits to the community:

  • increase the safety of the community
  • improve resilience to flooding in Moruya
  • mitigation measures for housing and businesses in Moruya
  • minimise the losses (lives, financial, property) to our community from flooding
  • Inform masterplanning, development controls

Background and purpose

The NSW Flood Risk Management Manual outlines a process to manage flood risk in NSW. The first step in the process is to collect data to complete a flood study. A flood study identifies flood behaviour such as velocity and depth. Council adopted a flood study for Moruya in 2011.

The next step is to carry out a flood risk management study. This identifies the risks associated with flooding, and options for addressing them. After completing the floodplain risk management study, the next step is to develop a flood risk management plan. A plan incorporates the preferred options from the study, and prioritises actions to manage and reduce the risks of flooding. It aims to minimise the losses to our community from flooding. These losses can include financial and property, as well as loss of lives.

Council adopted the previous Moruya River Floodplain Management Plan in 2004. The Flood Risk Management Manual recommends updating it every five years.

Project updates

May 2025

  • Rhelm - in consultation with the Technical Working Group - identified preliminary flood mitigation options for further modelling.

December 2024

  • The Technical Working Group reviewed the draft flood study. They:
    • engaged with internal stakeholders (Council's infrastructure services)
    • engaged with the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
    • presented the draft flood study to the Climate and Environment Advisory Committee.

September 2024

  • Rhelm submitted the draft flood study to Council for review.

June 2024

  • Ocean conditions at the Moruya River entrance affect flood levels upstream in the Moruya township. Rhelm carried out modelling to understand how ocean levels affect flooding in Moruya.

May 2024

  • Rhelm collected ground survey data to inform this important project.

November 2023

  • Council held drop-in sessions at the Moruya Mechanics Institute for community members to learn about the study and provide input and observations.

October 2023

  • Reviewing the flood study.

July to September 2023

  • Council commenced the study by collecting data to identifying behaviours, like velocity and depth.

June 2023

  • Council engaged Rhelm to review the flood study and develop the Flood Risk Management Study and Plan.

Community engagement

Please share your knowledge and experience, and your preferences on flood mitigation tools:

In line with the Flood Risk Management process, the Climate and Environment Advisory Committee will provide technical oversight for the project.

More information

For more information, contact Council's Resilience and Risk Reduction Officer, Sabrina Mallard: