History of Flooding in Lake Macquarie City LMCC flood study risk and study reports
Floodplains are areas of primary environmental significance and their wellbeing is essential to the survival of many ecosystems. Flooding within the City of Lake Macquarie occurs in and around the major and minor streams that outlet into Lake Macquarie waterway (the Lake). Flooding also occurs on low lying land adjacent to parts of Lake Macquarie waterway.
Scroll down for links to flood photographs arranged by suburb. Links to completed flood studies are on the right side of this web page.
Link to Lake Macquarie City Council's free Property Flooding Information Summary Tool for information about the flood hazard for a specific property within the Lake Macquarie local government area.
Property Flooding Information Summary Tool
Link to the Floodplain site on Council's main web page for development enquiries or general flood information
The major stream (catchment) systems in the City and the localities affected include Dora Creek (Martinsville, Morisset, Cooranbong, Dora Creek township), Upper and Lower Cockle Creek (Wakefield, West Wallsend, Holmesville, Barnsley, Edgeworth, Glendale, Argenton, Boolaroo, Speers Point), Stony Creek (Toronto, Blackalls Park), Winding Creek (Hillsborough, Cardiff, Glendale), North Creek (Warners Bay), South Creek (Warners Bay), LT Creek (Fassifern), Sheppards Creek (Valentine) and Jewells Wetland inclusive of Scrubby Creek, Crokers Creek, Johnsons Creek, Dicks Creek, Freshwater Creek (Mount Hutton, Windale, Bennetts Green, Gateshead, Jewells, Redhead). Parts of the low lying suburbs of Swansea, Pelican, Marks Point and Belmont South are affected by flooding from Lake Macquarie waterway. Other smaller systems are also subject to localised flooding.
As at June 2016, approximately 18,613 designated flood planning area properties are potentially affected by flooding (high and low hazard). Knowledge relating to the extent, depth and velocity of floodwaters is generally derived from historical flood records and completed flood studies.
Significant flood events in the City, not limited, include: Cooranbong 1927/1962/1977; Dora Creek 1977, 1989, 1990, 2015; Toronto/Blackalls/Edgeworth 1981; Cardiff/Barnsley/Glendale/Boolaroo 1981, 1990 and 2007 and the Lake 1949 and 2007 and 2015, as well as the entire City inclusive of the Lake waterway in 2007
The aim of Council is to reduce the impacts of flooding and flood liability on individual owners, businesses and occupiers of flood prone property, and to reduce private and public losses resulting from floods. Flood data and historic flood photos are available for most major events in Lake Macquarie City (Council GIS database and website, historic maps, flood studies/plans)
Council has adopted a strategic management approach to floodplains, assisted by the principles and guidelines outlined in the NSW Floodplain Development Manual, April 2005. Council has an active Coastal Zone Management Committee, that develops and implements flood studies and risk management studies/plans to help minimise the risk of flooding in the city
Flood Photos by suburb
Flood photos of Argenton
Flood photos of Awaba
Flood photos of Balcolyn
Flood photos of Balmoral
Flood photos of Belmont
Flood photos of Blackalls Park
Flood photos of Boolaroo
Flood photos of Cardiff
Flood photos of Caves Beach
Flood photos of Cockle Creek
Flood photos of Pirrita Island (formerly known as Coon Island)
Flood photos of Cooranbong
Flood photos of Dora Creek
Flood photos of Mandalong
Flood photos of Marks Point
Flood photos of Martinsville
Flood photos of Pelican
Flood photos of Rathmines
Flood photos of Speers Point
Flood photos of Swansea
Flood photos of Teralba
Flood photos of Toronto
Flood photos of Valentine
Flood photos of Wangi
This work by Lake Macquarie City Library is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License