New government agency to take over NSW floods aid and support

Support for communities rebuilding from the recent NSW floods will soon come from a new government agency as officials look to shelve the embattled Resilience NSW agency.

A new government agency will take the lead in rebuilding from recent deadly flooding, with the “Reconstruction Authority” set to replace Resilience NSW as the state’s main disaster prevention agency.

A long-awaited report into recent deadly flooding has also found that raising the Warragamba Dam wall will have the “single largest impact on flood mitigation” in the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley compared to other infrastructure options.

Premier Dominic Perrottet will release the government’s response to a major flood inquiry in Lismore on Wednesday, announcing the new government authority and revealing the future of the embattled Resilience NSW.

The Daily Telegraph understands that the flood response will include some form of property buyback scheme.

The NSW Government will establish the new Reconstruction Authority as part of its response to the inquiry held by former Chief Scientist Mary O’Kane and former Police Commissioner Mick Fuller.

A new government agency will take the lead in rebuilding from recent deadly flooding. Picture: Damian Shaw

The Daily Telegraph understands that the Authority will be the lead agency responsible for managing recovery within disaster-affected communities.

It will be tasked with sourcing funding from state and commonwealth governments, as well as philanthropic donations.

Resilience NSW Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons. The agency could be shelved to make way for the new authority. Picture: Gaye Gerard

It will become the state’s lead agency for disaster prevention, replacing Resilience NSW in that role.

Meanwhile, O’Kane and Fuller report also finds that in 20 years, 46,000 people living in high-flood-risk zones in the Hawkesbury-Nepean could fail to evacuate during a one in 1,000 year flood.

Raising the dam wall will reduce the number of people who could fail to evacuate to just 5,520, the inquiry found.

Key infrastructure flooding would also be delayed by 11 hours if the wall is raised.

“Raising the Warragamba Dam wall is predicted to provide a significant reduction in current risks to life and property on a regional scale by holding back floodwaters, delaying peak flows and improving evacuation effectiveness,” the report said.