Coffs Harbour’s flood history and flood prevention: Council announce further funding
Coffs Harbour has an excessive history of flooding and when over 700 mm of rainfall swept through in March, many feared the worst. Flood prevention measures in recent years meant a major disaster was avoided. See how new basins protect the city.
Coffs Harbour
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While towns and cities in the Northern Rivers went under in two successive floods, Coffs Harbour came away relatively unscathed.
Coffs Harbour recorded 729.8mm of rain in March alone, according to BOM.
Aside from terrain layout which plays a part in flooding, the Coffs council have put in some major developments in recent years to protect the city.
Coffs Harbour has a vast history of flooding - with significant events occuring in 1917, 1938, 1950, 1963, 1974, 1977, 1989, 1991, 1996 and 2009.
In 1996, a natural disaster was declared when Coffs Harbour experienced major flash flooding.
The flood caused 300 people needing evacuation as 250 residential properties and 210 commercial or public properties were affected.
Ten years later, a storm saw Coffs Creek peak at 5.14m resulting in flash flooding in the Coffs Harbour CBD and surrounding streets.
Vital measures were put in after this 2009 disaster - with 800 people being evacuated and more than $40 million in damage - according to The Insurance Council of Australia.
The Flood Mitigation program was created which included 4 basins to funnel water away from the town and creeks.
The basins are designed with a narrow outlet – not as dams. Four key basins were constructed between 2010 and 2018.
During flood events, the basins help contain large bodies of water with a narrow outlet to decrease water flow.
Water already flowing through the creek has time to escape into the ocean without breaking the creek banks.
Computer modelling indicated the new basin covering the Coffs Creek catchment is typically dropping flood levels by 200mm – 600mm in some sections and 200mm-400mm around the Coffs CBD.
A flood warning system - directly linked to the Bureau of Meteorology and State Emergency Service - was also developed at waterways for early flood warning and prevention.
In late February 2022, prior to the recent flood disasters, the NSW Government announced that Council had been successful in winning another $2 million of further funding.
The funding includes a new basin at North Boambee Valley, a flood study into Moonee Creek and an upgrade to existing flood warning system.
Member for Coffs Harbour Gurmesh Singh said the grants will assist council in understanding and managing local flood risk and exposure in Coffs Harbour.
“Each year, Councils can apply for grants to fund important projects to assess and understand flood risk and help reduce flood impacts and managing flood risk in local communities,” Mr Singh said.
A fifth basin is being built to protect an area of Coffs Harbour near the main hospital and the industrial precinct.
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