Southern floodplain management plans
Historically, the management of rural floodplains relied upon the preparation of localised floodplain management plans under Part 8 of the Water Act 1912. These localised floodplain management plans were designed to achieve the following outcomes to the benefit of both rural communities and the floodplain environment, allowing farmers to plan for future sustainable development based on a strategic scheme for the management of floodwaters:
- Mapping of floodplain development, major flood flow-paths and flood-dependent ecosystems to better manage floodplain assets
- Mapping of unobstructed floodway networks to identify effective passage of floodwaters and maintain floodplain connectivity to protect and enhance flood-dependent ecosystems and fish passage
- Provision of guidelines to determine where landholder flood protection works can and cannot be constructed
- Provision of remedial solutions to resolve hydraulic and environmental ‘hot-spots’ using a strategic risk management approach
- Provision of assessment criteria for regulating existing and future flood control works within floodway networks
Localised floodplain management plans prepared under Part 8 of the Water Act 1912 are superseded upon the commencement of a floodplain management plan under the Water Management Act 2000.
Of the 22 localised floodplain management plans originally prepared under Part 8 of the Water Act 1912, 10 remain in-force across New South Wales. The Natural Resources Commission completed an audit of these floodplain management plans in 2020. A copy of the audit report may be downloaded from the NRC website.
The department has completed a review of the plan under Section 43 of the Water Management Act 2000. The review report is now available. The Section 43 review report (including all submissions) will be used in conjunction with the NRC audit findings to inform the replacement of the floodplain management plans in the southern Murray-Darling Basin.
For more information about the transition of floodplain management planning from the Water Act 1912 to the Water Management Act 2000 in NSW, download Floodplain management under the Water Management Act 2000: A guide to the changes. PDF, 109.42 KB
Floodplain management plans
Billabong Creek: Walbundrie to Jerilderie
- Area=2,500 km2
- Adopted May 2006
- Billabong Creek Floodplain Management Plan (PDF, 4661 KB)
- Area=2,500 km2
- Adopted May 2006
- Billabong Creek Floodplain Management Plan (PDF, 4661 KB)
Edward and Wakool Rivers (Deniliquin to Moama-Moulamein Railway): Stage 1
- Area=1,500 km2
- Adopted November 2010
- Edward and Wakool Rivers Stage 1 Deniliquin to Moama-Moulamein Railway (PDF, 1266.37 KB)
- Appendix C Stage 1 floodway network maps:
- Figure 1.0 Key map: Stage 1 FMP floodway network (PDF, 1113.4 KB)
- Figure 1.1 Sheet 1 of 7 (PDF, 2746.62 KB)
- Figure 1.2 Sheet 2 of 7 (PDF, 580.57 KB)
- Figure 1.3 Sheet 3 of 7 (PDF, 1004.71 KB)
- Figure 1.4 Sheet 4 of 7 (PDF, 2650.63 KB)
- Figure 1.5 Sheet 5 of 7 (PDF, 1014.66 KB)
- Figure 1.6 Sheet 6 of 7 (PDF, 2734.22 KB)
- Figure 1.7 Sheet 7 of 7 (PDF, 2765.82 KB)
- Area=1,500 km2
- Adopted November 2010
- Edward and Wakool Rivers Stage 1 Deniliquin to Moama-Moulamein Railway (PDF, 1266.37 KB)
- Appendix C Stage 1 floodway network maps:
- Figure 1.0 Key map: Stage 1 FMP floodway network (PDF, 1113.4 KB)
- Figure 1.1 Sheet 1 of 7 (PDF, 2746.62 KB)
- Figure 1.2 Sheet 2 of 7 (PDF, 580.57 KB)
- Figure 1.3 Sheet 3 of 7 (PDF, 1004.71 KB)
- Figure 1.4 Sheet 4 of 7 (PDF, 2650.63 KB)
- Figure 1.5 Sheet 5 of 7 (PDF, 1014.66 KB)
- Figure 1.6 Sheet 6 of 7 (PDF, 2734.22 KB)
- Figure 1.7 Sheet 7 of 7 (PDF, 2765.82 KB)
Wakool River (Moama-Moulamein Railway to Gee Gee Bridge): Stage 2
- Area=1,600 km2
- Adopted November 2010
- Wakool River Stage 2 Moama-Moulamein Railway to Gee Gee Bridge (PDF, 1148.6 KB)
- Appendix C Stage 2 floodway network maps:
- Area=1,600 km2
- Adopted November 2010
- Wakool River Stage 2 Moama-Moulamein Railway to Gee Gee Bridge (PDF, 1148.6 KB)
- Appendix C Stage 2 floodway network maps:
Edward and Niemur Rivers (Moama-Moulamein Railway to Liewah and Mallan): Stage 3
- Area=1,400 km2
- Adopted November 2010
- Edward and Niemur Rivers Stage 3 Moama-Moulamein Railway to Liewah and Mallan (PDF, 1166.34 KB)
- Appendix C Stage 3 floodway network maps:
- Area=1,400 km2
- Adopted November 2010
- Edward and Niemur Rivers Stage 3 Moama-Moulamein Railway to Liewah and Mallan (PDF, 1166.34 KB)
- Appendix C Stage 3 floodway network maps:
Edward and Wakool Rivers (Noorong Road to Wakool-Murray Junction): Stage 4
- Area=2,000 km2
- Adopted July 2000
- Edward and Wakool Rivers Floodplain Management Strategy Noorong Road to Wakool Murray Junction (PDF, 645.23 KB)
- Figure 1 Location of Stage IV area (PDF, 79.86 KB)
- Figure 2 Overall scheme (PDF, 88.85 KB)
- Figure 3 Approval process for flood control works (PDF, 73.85 KB)
- Figure 4 Streams contributing to flooding (PDF, 70.97 KB)
- Figure 5 Flow distribution (PDF, 105.82 KB)
- Figure 6 1993 flood flows (PDF, 105.48 KB)
- Figure 7 Satellite image (PDF, 756.61 KB)
- Figure 8 Proposed floodway (PDF, 534.86 KB)
- Floodway network:
- Area=2,000 km2
- Adopted July 2000
- Edward and Wakool Rivers Floodplain Management Strategy Noorong Road to Wakool Murray Junction (PDF, 645.23 KB)
- Figure 1 Location of Stage IV area (PDF, 79.86 KB)
- Figure 2 Overall scheme (PDF, 88.85 KB)
- Figure 3 Approval process for flood control works (PDF, 73.85 KB)
- Figure 4 Streams contributing to flooding (PDF, 70.97 KB)
- Figure 5 Flow distribution (PDF, 105.82 KB)
- Figure 6 1993 flood flows (PDF, 105.48 KB)
- Figure 7 Satellite image (PDF, 756.61 KB)
- Figure 8 Proposed floodway (PDF, 534.86 KB)
- Floodway network:
Lachlan River: Gooloogong to Jemalong Gap
- Area=1,000 km2
- Adopted January 2011
- Lachlan River Gooloogong to Jemalong Gap Floodplain Management Plan (PDF, 774.36 KB)
- Appendix B Figure 2 FMP floodway network maps:
- Figure 3 FMP floodway network and mapped wetland vegetation maps:
- Area=1,000 km2
- Adopted January 2011
- Lachlan River Gooloogong to Jemalong Gap Floodplain Management Plan (PDF, 774.36 KB)
- Appendix B Figure 2 FMP floodway network maps:
- Figure 3 FMP floodway network and mapped wetland vegetation maps:
Lachlan River: Jemalong Gap to Condobolin
- Area=1,600 km2
- Adopted 2012
- Lachlan River Jemalong Gap to Condobolin Floodplain Management Plan (PDF, 892.81 KB)
- Figures 4.1 to 4.4 1990 model results [flows and velocities] (PDF, 1320.58 KB)
- Figures 4.5 to 4.8 FMP floodway network (PDF, 1517.6 KB)
- Figure 5.1 FMP floodway network zones (PDF, 453.96 KB)
- Figures 6.1 to 6.4 FMP floodway network and mapped wetland vegetation (PDF, 1640.92 KB)
- Area=1,600 km2
- Adopted 2012
- Lachlan River Jemalong Gap to Condobolin Floodplain Management Plan (PDF, 892.81 KB)
- Figures 4.1 to 4.4 1990 model results [flows and velocities] (PDF, 1320.58 KB)
- Figures 4.5 to 4.8 FMP floodway network (PDF, 1517.6 KB)
- Figure 5.1 FMP floodway network zones (PDF, 453.96 KB)
- Figures 6.1 to 6.4 FMP floodway network and mapped wetland vegetation (PDF, 1640.92 KB)
Lachlan River: Lake Brewster Weir to Whealbah (Hillston)
- Area=1,600 km2
- Adopted October 2005
- Lachlan River Hillston Floodplain Management Plan – Lake Brewster to Whealbah (PDF, 3980.44 KB)
- Hillston floodplain management – floodway network and flood fringe area:
- Area=1,600 km2
- Adopted October 2005
- Lachlan River Hillston Floodplain Management Plan – Lake Brewster to Whealbah (PDF, 3980.44 KB)
- Hillston floodplain management – floodway network and flood fringe area:
Murrumbidgee River: Hay to Maude
- Area=1,700 km2
- Adopted April 2014
- Murrumbidgee River Hay to Maude Floodplain Management Plan (PDF, 1168.17 KB)
- Figures 2A to 2E FMP floodway network (PDF, 4522.25 KB)
- Figures 3A to 3C FMP floodway network with flood-dependent ecosystems (PDF, 4058.23 KB)
- Figures 3D to 3E FMP floodway network with flood-dependent ecosystems (PDF, 1853.68 KB)
- Figure B1 Flow and flood level monitoring sites (PDF, 1069.48 KB)
- Figures C1 to C5 Details of improvement measures [Sites A to E] (PDF, 3201.26 KB)
- Figures C6 to C10 Details of improvement measures [Sites F to J] (PDF, 3868.17 KB)
- Area=1,700 km2
- Adopted April 2014
- Murrumbidgee River Hay to Maude Floodplain Management Plan (PDF, 1168.17 KB)
- Figures 2A to 2E FMP floodway network (PDF, 4522.25 KB)
- Figures 3A to 3C FMP floodway network with flood-dependent ecosystems (PDF, 4058.23 KB)
- Figures 3D to 3E FMP floodway network with flood-dependent ecosystems (PDF, 1853.68 KB)
- Figure B1 Flow and flood level monitoring sites (PDF, 1069.48 KB)
- Figures C1 to C5 Details of improvement measures [Sites A to E] (PDF, 3201.26 KB)
- Figures C6 to C10 Details of improvement measures [Sites F to J] (PDF, 3868.17 KB)