South Cessnock has a history of flooding that has been made worse by mine subsidence of up to one (1) metre in the 1980s. In a 1 in 100 Annual Exceedance Probability (AEP) flood, 16 homes experience over floor flooding and 71 homes experience yard inundation.
The bund wall will create a storage basin to detain and slowly release flood waters, thereby mitigating the impacts of flooding in the South Cessnock area. The project also involves raising five (5) homes that would still be at risk of over floor flooding in a 1 in 100 AEP event.
Benefits of the scheme include:
- Will reduce design flood levels to pre-subsidence values.
- Lowers average flood depth 14cm relative to average pre-subsidence depth.
- No home will experience over floor flooding in a 1 in 100 AEP flood.
- Safe pedestrian access to all homes in 1 in 100 AEP flood.