Expressions of interest to join council’s floodplain management advisory committee are now open to community representatives.

The formation of a floodplain management advisory committee for the region was agreed at council’s December meeting. 

Cr Peter Epov will chair the committee, with Cr Karen Hutchinson as a permanent member.

Joined by council staff, representatives from SES and NSW Government Office of Environment and Heritage, and members of the community, the committee will provide a forum for discussing technical, social, economic, environmental and cultural issues around the impact of flooding, and an opportunity to represent the views and concerns of key stakeholders in planning for floodplain management.

“Flooding in our region is a very serious issue, one that has significant economic impact on our region and which may have grave consequences in the context of public safety,” Cr Epov said.

“It is therefore critically important that council and the community understand the challenges and the risks, and that council has well established plans to mitigate the consequences, where possible”.

The floodplain management advisory committee is the first committee established by MidCoast Council to include members of the community.

Roshan Khadka, MidCoast Council’s coastal and flooding engineer said the committee is designed to advise council on the development and implementation of floodplain risk management plans and processes, specifically for areas in affected by flooding. “By bringing in members of the community, we’re aiming to ensure fair representation from all of these areas,” he said.

Interested community representatives from Wingham/Taree, Harrington/Manning Point, Lansdowne/Coopernook, Forster/Tuncurry, Bulahdelah, Stroud/Karuah, Tea Gardens/Hawks Nest, and Gloucester, are invited to apply to be part of the advisory committee. It is anticipated the committee will meet at least three times each year, with membership continuing for the remainder of the current council term.

“It is important that we draw on local knowledge, based on years of experience, from members of our community, and are looking for your input,” Cr Epov said.

The closing date for applications to be part of the committee, and also for feedback on the draft Terms of Reference, is Wednesday, February 7.