Council's role in a flood
Serve as a conduit for key information: Council shares critical flood-related information from emergency service providers, including the NSW State Emergency Service (SES), NSW Police, and other agencies, to ensure the community is informed about current flood conditions, evacuation advice, and safety updates. This includes disseminating warnings issued by emergency services.
Support the lead emergency service provider: Council assists the NSW SES and other emergency services by providing necessary resources, including equipment, personnel, and facilities, to support flood management and recovery actions in accordance with the Local Emergency Management Plan.
Monitor flood impacts and manage infrastructure: Council continuously monitors its levee system, pump stations, and telemetry systems (such as rainfall and river gauges) to assess flood risk and take immediate action when necessary. This includes ensuring levee systems function as intended and operating pump stations to effectively manage water levels.
Monitor and manage roads and public spaces: Council monitors Council-owned roads, public reserves, and open spaces for any flood impacts. Roads may be closed, and detours put in place where required. Crews are deployed to remove fallen trees or other obstacles to maintain access. Council assists emergency services with traffic management support in evacuations.
Continuity of essential services: Council works to ensure that essential services, including water and sewer systems and waste collection, continue during a flood. Contingency plans are activated to minimise service disruptions, and the public is kept informed about any service changes or temporary closures.
Support the Local Emergency Management Committee (LEMC), LEOCON, and Combat Agency: If the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) is activated at the Local Emergency Operations Controller's (LEOCON) discretion, the Council provides executive support to the emergency response. This includes acting as a liaison between the EOC and Council, providing additional staff, such as communications officers, technicians, and subject matter experts, coordinating and organising the deployment of equipment (such as power generators, mobile pumps, cranes, etc.) to support the operational needs of the EOC and emergency services.