The identification of properties and concern a probable maximum flood (PMF) warning could be placed on construction certificates within the new precinct follows the release of the West Schofields precinct masterplan by the NSW Planning Department this month.

West Schofields landowner Colleen Abela said that although she is a property owner in the rezoned precinct, she had not received any notification from the State Government.

“My major concern is this rezoning of PMF would be included on the planning certificate of thousands of homes in the new precinct,” Mrs Abela said. “Your property should not be identified as being within a flood zone when the chances are so incredibly low.”

Mrs Abela said potential buyers or investors “would run” when they saw the number of homes identified as flood prone.

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“They won’t look at the details to see how often that could occur,” she said.

This not the first time residents have fought this battle, 5500 homeowners fought and won a bid against Blacktown Council’s plans to identify properties within the PMF in 2006.

“There is no reason for this to have reared its ugly head again, it sets a dangerous precedent for tens of thousands of homes across NSW that are in exactly the same circumstances,” Mrs Abela said.

“Why is the Planning Department doing this? Have they seen an ark being built somewhere, or do they know of a problem with Warragamba Dam that we don’t?”

State Emergency Services documents show a PMF could occur every 10,000 to 10 million years.

NSW Planning Western Sydney executive director Brett Whitworth said the department did not want councils to identify properties in the PMF zone on planning certificates.

“Since the Brisbane floods last year, we have had a better understanding of the type of damages that can occur in these conditions,” he said.

“We have to be careful about how we build new communities and design a precinct to effectively evacuate its residents.”

Mr Whitworth said there would be no medium or high-density development in flood zones.

“What that has been identified is the way flooding occurs in the Hawkesbury and Nepean Valley,” he said. “It banks back across suburbs where floodwaters can be metres above what is usually expected.

“We need to limit the number of dwellings to match the capabilities of transport routes.”

Mr Whitworth said insurers were already “aware and concerned” about flooding in West Schofields but could not say if premiums would rise.