Moruya Flood Study and Floodplain Risk Management Study and Plan

Project: Council has received funding from the Disaster Risk Reduction Fund to assess flood risk in Moruya and develop a plan to manage that risk.

Timeframe: June 2023 to August 2025

Status: In progress

Cost and funding:

  • $150,000
  • The Disaster Risk Reduction Fund (DRRF) is jointly funded by the Australian and New South Wales governments.

Page last updated: December 2024

Project details

We are working to:

  • determine the risks associated with flooding and options for addressing them
  • develop a plan that prioritises actions to manage and reduce the risks of flooding.

Benefits to the community:

  • increase the safety of the community
  • improve resilience to flooding in Moruya
  • mitigation measures for housing and businesses in Moruya
  • minimise the losses (lives, financial, property) to our community from flooding
  • Inform master planning, development controls

Background and purpose

The NSW Flood Risk Management Manual outlines a process to manage flood risk in NSW. The first step in the process is to collect data to complete a flood study. A flood study identifies flood behaviour such as velocity and depth. The Council adopted a flood study for Moruya in 2011.

The next step is to carry out a Flood Risk Management Study. This determines the risks associated with flooding and options for addressing them. After completing the Floodplain Risk Management Study, the next step is to develop a Flood Risk Management Plan. A Plan incorporates the preferred options from the study and prioritises actions to manage and reduce the risks of flooding. It aims to minimise the losses to our community from flooding. These losses can include financial and property as well as loss of lives.

Council adopted the previous Moruya River Floodplain Management Plan in 2004. The Flood Risk Management Manual recommends updating it every 5 years.

Project updates

September 2024

  • Rhelm submitted the draft flood study to Council for review.

June 2024

  • Ocean conditions at the Moruya River entrance affect flood levels upstream in the Moruya township.  Rhelm carried out modelling to understand how ocean levels affect flooding in Moruya.

May 2024

  • Rhelm collected ground survey data to inform this important project.

November 2023

  • We held drop-in sessions at the Moruya Mechanics Institute for community members to learn about the study and provide input and observations.

October 2023

  • Reviewing the flood study

July to September 2023

  • We commenced the study by collecting data to identifying behaviours, like velocity and depth.

June 2023

  • We engaged Rhelm to review the flood study and develop the Flood Risk Management Study and Plan.

Community engagement

Please share your knowledge and experience, and your preferences on flood mitigation tools by visiting the following website:

In accordance with the Flood Risk Management process, technical oversight for the project will be provided by the Coast and Environment Management Advisory Committee.

More information

For more information, please contact Council's Resilience and Risk Reduction officer, Sabrina Mallard: