About the plan
The Floodplain Management Plan for the Upper Namoi Valley Floodplain 2019 (plan) commenced on 7 June 2019. The plan includes management zones, rules and assessment criteria for granting or amending approvals for flood works within the plan area.
Information on this plan, including amendments made in June 2024, is available for viewing as described below.
Floodplain management plan
The Floodplain Management Plan for the Upper Namoi Valley Floodplain 2019 is a legal instrument written in the required statutory framework.
Maps
The following maps are included within the plan and are available for download.
- Upper Namoi Valley - Plan map (PDF, 687.29 KB)
- Upper Namoi Valley - Management zones map (PDF, 2034.46 KB)
- Upper Namoi Valley - Floodway network map (PDF, 1569.76 KB)
- Upper Namoi Valley - Ecological assets map (PDF, 4504.14 KB)
- Upper Namoi Valley - Large design flood map (PDF, 708.76 KB)
- Upper Namoi Valley - Small design flood map (PDF, 684.26 KB)
- Upper Namoi Valley - Existing flood works map (PDF, 522.83 KB)
You can view the plan boundary, management zones and ecological assets as a spatial map.
You can also find the floodplain management plan spatial dataset on the NSW Government’s SEED portal for use in your own geographic information system.
Rules and assessment criteria
An overview of the rules and assessment criteria for each management zone is provided in the summary sheets which are available for download below. The summary sheets are included as a guide only.
- Upper Namoi Management Zone AD (PDF, 242.38 KB)
- Upper Namoi Management Zone AID (PDF, 175.61 KB)
- Upper Namoi Management Zone BU (PDF, 282.09 KB)
- Upper Namoi Management Zone BL (PDF, 178.11 KB)
- Upper Namoi Management Zone C (PDF, 262.61 KB)
- Upper Namoi Management Zone CU (PDF, 176.87 KB)
- Upper Namoi Management Zone D (PDF, 196.93 KB)
The rules for enhancement flood works in each of the northern floodplain management plans changed on 21 June 2024. Read a summary of the amendments (PDF, 132.83 KB).
For more information about how floodplain management plans work and the planning process refer to Developing floodplain management plans.
Plan status
The plan commenced on 7 June 2019 and is due for extension or replacement on 30 June 2030.
Amendments to the plan came into effect on 21 June 2024. You can find the amendment order and current version of the plan on the NSW Legislation website.
The Natural Resources Commission has audited the plan under Section 44 of the Water Management Act 2000. The audit report is available on their website.
Community consultation
The department road tested the major concepts of the plan with key stakeholders during a targeted (informal) consultation process over the period Thursday, 26 February 2015 to Thursday, 21 May 2015. Stakeholders from a range of industry groups—including landholders, Aboriginal communities, environmental interests, consultants and government—were invited to attend workshops in Gunnedah and Narrabri. These workshops introduced attendees to the main elements of the draft plan, including the boundary, management zones, and the rules for granting or amending flood work approvals.
The feedback received from targeted consultation was considered by an Interagency Regional Panel prior to the preparation of the plan for public exhibition.
Community input into the preparation of the plan was invited during public exhibition over the period Monday, 19 September to Friday, 28 October 2016. Late submissions to public exhibition were accepted until Friday, 6 January 2017. The department invited input via a media release, the Have Your Say portal, newspaper advertisements and notification letters to key stakeholders and landholders whose properties within Management Zones AD, AID and D within the plan area. The department also hosted individual appointments with interested stakeholders to provide greater detail about how the rules and assessment criteria would be applied in each management zone. Appointments were hosted in Quirindi, Gunnedah, Boggabri, Spring Ridge and Tambar Springs in September and October 2016 and in January 2017.
All submissions received during the exhibition period were considered by an Interagency Regional Panel prior to the preparation of the plan for commencement.
Supporting documents
- Draft rural floodplain management plans: Technical manual (PDF, 2950 KB)
A general description of the method employed for development the preparation of floodplain management plans under the Water Management Act 2000. - Draft rural floodplain management plans: Background document (PDF, 6394.89 KB) and Appendices (PDF, 8290.93 KB)
A detailed description of how the method presented in the Technical manual has been applied across the Upper Namoi valley floodplain and should be read in conjunction with the Technical manual. - Floodplain management under the Water Management Act 2000: A guide to the changes (PDF, 143.12 KB)
A guide to the transition of floodplain management planning from the Water Act 1912 to the Water Management Act 2000 in NSW. - An overview of floodplain management plans under the Water Management Act 2000 (PDF, 145.17 KB)
A general, plain English explanation of the key provisions of floodplain management plans.
Assistance
If you require assistance in reading these documents, please contact 1300 081 047 or water.enquiries@dpie.nsw.gov.au
Spatial map disclaimer
The spatial maps of floodplain management zones contained on this website (“Spatial Maps”) are produced for information purposes only. The authorised versions of the maps contained in floodplain management plans are published on the NSW legislation website.
The State of New South Wales, including the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (“the department”), does not give any warranty, guarantee or representation about the accuracy, currency or completeness of any information contained in the Spatial Maps (including, without limitation, any information included in the Spatial Maps which was provided by third parties). The State of New South Wales (including the department) provides the Spatial Maps without assumption of a duty of care to any person.
To the fullest extent permitted by law, the State of New South Wales (including the department) excludes all liability in relation to the information contained in the Spatial Maps or for any injury, expense loss, or damage whatsoever (including without limitation liability for negligence and consequential losses) suffered or incurred by any person acting, or purporting to act in reliance upon any information contained herein.
Applicants for flood work approvals use the Spatial Maps at their own risk when making decisions relating to the Spatial Maps. They should make their own enquiries with the department to confirm the impact of management zones on their application.