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DWE Home > Home > Across the state > Hunter > Floodplain management in the Hunter

Hunter

Floodplain management in the Hunter

After the devastating floods of 1955, the Hunter Valley Flood Mitigation (HVFM) Act 1956 was gazetted to enable the State Government to construct and maintain flood mitigation works within the Hunter Valley.

Flood mitigation

The concept of flood mitigation is to confine smaller floods to the river and thus avoid damage. In the case of larger floods the aim is to gradually allow the floodwaters to spill into the natural flood basins along the river.

DNR's role

The Department is responsible for:

• capital and maintenance works undertaken on the HVFM Scheme.
• advising the Hunter-Central Rivers Catchment Management Authority (HCRCMA) of the proposed work program.
• development within declared floodplain and in the vicinity of the levees.

The HVFM Scheme

In practice, the HVFM Scheme can be considered in two parts – Upper Hunter (non tidal) and Lower Hunter (tidal).

The Upper Hunter works consist of stream bank stabilisation activities by a number of methods as well as the construction of levees. In May 2004 responsibility for Upper Hunter works was transferred to the HCRCMA.

In the Lower Hunter the scheme includes flood control works integral to managing flood behaviour, together with local protection and drainage works. The scheme includes 160km of levees, 3.8km of spillways, 40km of control banks, 245 floodgates and 120km of drainage canals.

View further information on Floodplain Management Program