C1222(2) Item 19 Notice
of Motion: Development of Flood Plains
Motion: (Da
Cruz)
That Council:
1.
Acknowledges the serious risk that
flooding presents to communities in an era of changing climate;
2.
Fully supports the measures already incorporated
into IWC plans and strategies to protect communities in the Inner West from
flooding risks, especially through the diligent application of those measures
in planning decisions; and
3. Not support any planning proposal which has the effect of significantly
increasing residential density in mapped flood planning areas.
The Mayor ruled point 3 of the motion out
of order as it is inconsistent with the exemptions allowed in the ministerial
directions and also ruled points 1 and 2 redundant as council does not need
to move a motion to support the measures already incorporated into Inner West
Council plans and strategies.
Procedural Motion (Da Cruz/Stamolis)
That
a motion of dissent be raised regarding the Chairperson’s ruling.
Motion Lost
For Motion: Crs Da Cruz, Langford and Stamolis
Against Motion: Crs Atkins, Byrne, D'Arienzo, Drury, Griffiths, Howard, Lockie,
Scott, Shetty, Smith, Stephens and Tsardoulias
Minutes of Extraordinary Council
Meeting held remotely and livestreamed on
Council’s website on 13 December 2022 https://innerwest.infocouncil.biz/Open/2022/12/C_13122022_MIN_4000_EXTRA_WEB.htm
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Extraordinary
Council Meeting
13 December 2022
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Item No: C1222(2)
Item 19
Subject: Notice of Motion: Development of Flood Plains
Council Meeting at its meeting on 06 December 2022 resolved
that the matter be deferred to the meeting to be held on 13 December
2022.
From: Councillor
Marghanita Da Cruz
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Motion:
That
Council:
1. Acknowledges the serious risk that flooding presents to
communities in an era of changing climate;
2. Fully supports the measures already incorporated into IWC plans
and strategies to protect communities in the Inner West from flooding risks,
especially through the diligent application of those measures in planning
decisions; and
3. Consider planning
proposals that are in accordance with the relevant planning legislation
regarding resilience and hazards, and that are commensurate with flood
behaviour and include consideration of the potential flood impacts both on
and off the subject land.
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Background
Council has long recognised that flooding
represents a significant risk to Inner West residents and communities. Prior to
the merger, the former constituent Councils were among the more advanced councils
in their flood planning.
The risks posed by floods have increased
significantly as a consequence of our changing climate. Council has responded
to the threat by making planning for hazards and climate change its No.1
planning priority in our Local Strategic Planning Statement.(1)
A recent, peer reviewed article published
in the international journal, Science, looked at 20 year records for
Sydney rainfall. It found that dangerous flash flooding was increasing much
faster than previously expected. The abstract states:
Short-duration,
extreme rainfall can cause dangerous flash flooding, threatening life, infrastructure
and the landscape. Studies of this type of event have focused mainly on daily
rain totals, not considering how precipitation might vary on shorter time
scales. Ayat et al. analyzed sub-hourly rainfall extremes near Sydney,
Australia, over 20 years and found that they are increasing much faster than
those over longer periods. Better understanding of such extremes is vital for
effective climate adaptation and to reduce the vulnerability of populated
regions.(2)
The Sydney Morning Herald reported the
findings saying:
Extreme and
potentially dangerous bursts of rain have intensified by an
“alarming” 40 per cent in Sydney over the past two decades, with
climate researchers flagging major implications for how cities deal with
flash-flooding and drainage.(3)
The need to take flood risks seriously is
reflected at every level of planning.
The Eastern City District Plan
states:
Planning for
population growth and change needs to consider exposure at a local level as
well as cumulative impacts at district and regional levels…..In planning
for growth, consideration of natural hazards and cumulative impacts include
avoiding locating growth and development in areas exposed to natural hazards
and limiting growth in existing communities that are exposed and vulnerable to
natural hazards. In exceptional circumstances, there may be a need to
reduce the number of people and amount of property that are vulnerable to
natural hazards, through managed retreat of development”(4)
The Ministerial Direction under s.9.1(2) of
the Environmental Planning & Assessment Act 1979 dealing with
resilience and hazards, being Direction 4.1 Flooding, provides that:
(3)
A planning proposal must not contain provisions that apply to a flood planning
area which:
(a) permit development in floodway areas;
(b) permit
development that will result in significant flood impacts to other properties;
(c) permit
development for the purpose of residential accommodation in high hazard areas;
(d) permit a
significant increase in the development and/or dwelling density of that
land…
Council’s own Housing Strategy notes:
Flooding was
also considered a constraint. Figure 27 [which
shows Council’s flood planning areas] illustrates the locations that
are subject to flooding. While this does not prohibit development in many
cases, areas that are subject to flooding may not be suitable for substantial
uplift as a result of evacuation requirements. Similarly, flood impacts
may require built form modifications to address risk, which may not optimise
urban design outcomes.(5)
Similar restrictions and warnings are found
in the Inner West LEP at clause 5.21, in the State Government’s
Floodplain Development Manual, in Planning Circular PS 21-006, and in the
Report of the 2022 NSW Flood Inquiry, as well as a great many other documents.
However, despite all the
well-meaning statements, strategies, plans and polices around the importance of
flood planning, it seems that some sections of government (and this Council)
are still reluctant to treat the matter with the seriousness and consideration
that our plans demand. Hence this motion to re-emphaise what should be
plain to all – that the impacts of climate change are real and that we
must treat them seriously, especially in how we plan our area.
Endnotes
(1) Inner West Local Strategic
Planning Statement March 2020 p.32 Item 1.1.
(2) “Intensification of Subhourly
Heavy Rainfall” Hooman Ayat, Jason Evans, Steven Sherwood & Joshua
Soderholm, Science Vol 378 No.6620 November 2022.
(3) SMH Extreme rain deluges Intensifying
over Sydney, study finds. Michael Koziol 11 November 2022
(4) Eastern City District Plan March 2018
Greater Sydney Commission p.118-119
(5 )Our Inner West Housing
Strategy March 2020 p.111
Officer’s
Comments:
No further comments were required for this
Notice of Motion.
ATTACHMENTS
Nil.
https://innerwest.infocouncil.biz/Open/2022/12/C_13122022_AGN_4000_AT_EXTRA_WEB.htm
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Extraordinary
Council Meeting
13 December 2022 |
