Urban Flood Levee Guidelines

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In NSW, there are more than 110 flood levees protecting urban communities with an aggregate length in excess of 350 kilometres. The levees are managed for the protection of the communities principally by Local Government agencies, with a smaller number by Land Councils and State Government Agencies.

NSW Public Works developed the NSW Urban Flood Levee Interim Flood Confidence Limit Guideline with funding under the NSW/Commonwealth Natural Disaster Resilience Program for the Police and Emergency Services Division, Department of Justice.

The following organisations provided input, feedback and advice in the preparation of the Guideline, and their contributions are acknowledged:

  • NSW State Emergency Service (NSW SES)
  • Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH)

The Guideline provides engineers with general guidance for an interim quick assessment of a levee’s flood confidence limit where no other reliable information exists, pending more thorough investigation.

When using the Guideline, it must be understood that each levee is different and there will be individual circumstances to consider and professional judgement must be applied.