The NSW Government is funding 100 per cent of the council-managed flood improvement project with $31.1 million to deliver the work, which includes:

• $5 million from the NSW Government’s Stronger Communities Fund (SCF)

• $26.1 million – from Transport for NSW (Transport) in two stages - its initial $13.1 million committed in 2021 and a subsequent $13.0 million approved in January 2024.

In 2023, Transport announced the Wakehurst Parkway Improvements project focusing on safety and capacity improvements along Wakehurst Parkway. The intersection upgrade at Wakehurst Parkway and Oxford Falls Road West will intersect with Council’s proposed flood works. To minimise impacts to the community during construction, Transport will be delivering the flood improvement work in this area. Of the above Transport funding, $7.2M was returned to Transport to deliver the flood component of the works.

In summary, Council has been allocated a total of $23.9M in NSW Government funding to deliver all other works. While the initial $5 million of SCF funding has been provided to Council, the remaining funding from Transport is allocated as costs are incurred by Council.

We continue to manage the funding and associated agreements to ensure there is limited financial risk to Northern Beaches ratepayers from the project.

An alternative (refined) option has been developed for The Bends that minimises the environmental impact by reducing the amount of channel excavation, sediment removal and will potentially result in vegetation clearing being reduced to as little as 1 hectare, subject to further design development (down from the 3 hectares previously presented to the community).

To achieve the necessary flood conveyance the preferred option will involve providing new levees along both sides of Wakehurst Parkway, upgrading the existing eastern culvert, providing an additional western culvert upstream and providing a maintenance channel along the northern side of the road to facilitate periodic sediment removal.

Council is currently working this option into a concept design which will be presented back to the community. There are a number of technical studies underway to support this work, including sediment transport assessments, asset condition information, ground surveys and environmental approval requirements.

At the Sydney Academy of Sport (the Academy), the design of the preferred option includes new levees along both sides of the Wakehurst Parkway, changes to the entry at the Academy and addressing localised nuisance flooding at the low point near the entry.

Council is currently working this option into a concept design which will be presented back to the community. There are a number of technical studies being progressed to support this work, including asset condition information, ground surveys and environmental approval requirements.

Transport's Wakehurst Parkway Improvements project complements Council's flood improvement efforts by focusing on road safety and improving network efficiency.

Transport's project will deliver road improvements including intersection upgrades along Wakehurst Parkway between Frenchs Forest Road, Frenchs Forest, and Pittwater Road, North Narrabeen.

For more information visit the project webpage or, contact: Transport for NSW 1800 684 490 or projects@transport.nsw.gov.au

Historically, the most common flood disruptions on the Parkway have been associated with the smaller more frequent rainfall events.

The flood mitigation options considered in the Feasibility Study would significantly reduce the need for road closures associated with these smaller events.

More intense floods are likely to trigger flooding from Narrabeen Lagoon and not just Middle Creek. Mitigating the impact of these events will need significant amounts of investment, modification to the Parkway, and would also need to put measures in place around Narrabeen Lagoon. This extensive piece of work has larger environmental implications and would merit its own investigation.

The alternative option at The Bends is expected to involve the localised removal of sediment from Middle Creek which will result in some environmental impacts.

The alternative option is expected to result in vegetation clearing being reduced to as little as 1 hectare, compared to the original option which involved up to 3 ha.

The preferred option at the Academy may result in up to 0.74ha of native vegetation removal.

The adopted option at each location would require mitigation and environmental offsets under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016. This would involve the likely preparation of Species Impact Statements or Biodiversity Development Assessment Reports and subsequent Environmental Impact Statements in accordance NSW Government legislation.

Environmental restoration is a key focus of the project and Council is committed to achieving the best outcome for both flood mitigation and environmental restoration.

The region around the Parkway, including the suburbs of Oxford Falls, Cromer, Ingleside and Belrose, has been identified as being rich in cultural heritage. An Aboriginal due diligence assessment found 58 Aboriginal Site recordings listed within the region. Currently the study area where the options are located are not listed as containing any such sites.

This will be further investigated in the next stage, with close engagement with local stakeholders and the traditional owners of the land. Any works in the area would need to follow what are known as Unanticipated Discovery Protocols.