FUNDING ANNOUNCEMENT

More than $500,000 secured to strengthen local flood resilience

New funding will support practical work, flood studies and flood monitoring in key areas of Glamorgan–Spring Bay.

For people living in places such as Swansea and Buckland, heavy rain and rising waterways can quickly become more than just a wet-weather inconvenience. Flooding can affect roads, homes, access and community safety, which is why understanding where the risks are and being better prepared is so important.

Glamorgan Spring Bay Council has secured $500,000 in Australian Government funding for the Building Flood Resilience in Key Areas of Glamorgan-Spring Bay project. The funding will support practical works, updated flood studies and new river-monitoring technology.

What the project will do

• Saltwater Creek, Swansea: Provide updated flood modelling of the catchment to help guide infrastructure upgrades. The exact type and location of upgrades will be informed by the updated modelling but will include both grey infrastructure (e.g. culverts and stormwater infrastructure) and green infrastructure (restoration and repair of native vegetation in the catchment) to help reduce the impact of high-water flows. Extension materials and consultation with landholders in the catchment will also occur to support community-wide flood preparedness.
• Buckland and nearby rivers: Complete flood modelling for Buckland township to better understand and manage flood risk.
• Prosser and West Swan rivers: Trial river-monitoring devices on the Prosser River near Buckland and where the West Swan River crosses Old Coach Road. These devices will help detect flooding, support early warnings and improve community preparedness.

Expected Community Benefits

The project is expected to deliver a host of benefits to the community in the short, medium and longer term, including:

• Improved water management infrastructure along Saltwater Creek
• Reduced flood risk for residents and public land along the lower reaches of Saltwater Creek
• Enhanced public safety through mitigation of flood risk and access to early warning alerts for potential flooding of Saltwater Creek and the West Swan and Prosser Rivers
• Increased access to support for preparation during flooding events
• Improved environmental resilience and community health
• Improved natural water flow in Saltwater Creek
• Improve biodiversity and targeted control of water run-off through restoration and vegetation establishment along Saltwater Creek
• Establishment of an early warning system to help prepare for flooding within Saltwater Creek at Swansea, the Prosser River at Buckland, and along the West Swan River below Old Coach Road.

Together, these practical measures are about giving local people better information, more time to prepare and greater confidence when severe weather occurs, while also improving the health and resilience of local waterways.

Community consultation will begin soon, particularly around the work planned for Saltwater Creek. Further updates and opportunities to be involved will be shared through Council’s website and Facebook pages.

The project is supported by the Australian Government’s National Emergency Management Agency through the Disaster Ready Fund, with support from the Landscape Recovery Foundation.