Clarity on flood planning is a must

Council has reconfirmed the need for action on flood planning with the release of a new position paper.

Uncertainty around floodplain management from the NSW Government is constraining development in Penrith City Centre. Council has actively sought to work with other levels of government on responsible management of growth and planning to meet the risks of a 1 in 100-year flood (plus freeboard, which is an additional margin of safety above estimated flood levels) being the long-held standard. However, a myriad of policies and recommendations being released by the NSW Government, including a 2019 cap on development and a 2023 flood evacuation modelling tool, have complicated this planning framework.

As the closest city centre to the new Western Sydney International Airport, opening in just two years’ time, Penrith City Centre has enormous opportunity for growth. A cap on development in the city centre introduced by the NSW Government in 2019 inhibits this potential. This cap halves the allowable dwellings that the zoned potential would allow. Introduced as an interim solution to manage flood risk, the Adaptive Management Framework is still in place with no pathway forward.

One solution to address flood evacuation concerns and facilitate responsible development is the Castlereagh Connection. This 22km corridor, already reserved and mostly in government ownership, would provide an east-west road connection between the Nepean River near Castlereagh and the M7 motorway in Blacktown.

The Castlereagh Connection would provide a contemporary, all encompassing, evacuation solution. The benefits to come from this infrastructure extend beyond emergency evacuation, as the Castlereagh Connection would also provide an additional road connection between Sydney and the Central West, unlocking economic activity.

Progress on this critical piece of infrastructure is reliant on funding commitments from both federal and state governments. The Commonwealth Government has confirmed $50 million towards planning for this project, contingent upon the NSW Government matching this funding. To date, the NSW Government has committed only $1 million. Council continues to seek clarification on the scope and timing of the business case and calls on the Government to ensure further funding for the construction of this road connection is committed.

You can read the Flood Planning Position Paper for Penrith LGA in full here.