Wagga Wagga City Council has welcomed the announcement that it has been successful in its application for $9.1 million in funding under Round Three of the Australian Government's Disaster Ready Fund (DRF) to enhance flood safety in North Wagga.
The grant allocation represents 50 per cent of the total estimated cost of $18,201,550 to deliver the North Wagga Wagga 5 per cent AEP Levee Construction and Third Party Impact Mitigation Project.
The project will increase the level of protection for the village of North Wagga to a 5 per cent AEP (Annual Exceedance Probability) levee – or 1 in 20 chance of overtopping in any given year – from its current 12 per cent protection level (1 in 8).
Mayor of the City of Wagga Wagga Councillor Dallas Tout said Council has committed to providing the remaining 50 per cent of the project's cost to support the design and construction phases of the levee upgrade.
"The co-investment reflects the strategic priority of the project within the Council's infrastructure and disaster mitigation agenda," Cr Tout said.
"The project will involve raising the height of six kilometres of the existing levee by approximately one metre, which will enhance North Wagga's ability to prepare for and respond to future floods.
"It will reduce reliance on emergency evacuations and temporary housing, supports more integrated emergency planning, and protects critical local infrastructure and access routes essential for emergency services."
The North Wagga Levee reconstruction has been endorsed by Council's Floodplain Risk Management Advisory Committee, the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, and approved by Council in May 2024.
It is integrated within the Wagga Wagga Floodplain Risk Management Plan which identifies North Wagga as a priority area for flood risk reduction and recommends levee enhancement.
"This project was investigated for over 10 years, with extensive community consultation undertaken as part of early planning and feasibility studies, along with detailed flood modelling and hydrological analysis by industry experts," Cr Tout said.
"The final Flood Mitigations Options report for North Wagga reviewed several options in consultation with the community and determined this was the most appropriate way to proceed.
"It supports strategic planning and land use decisions that prioritise community safety and long-term resilience."
The scope of the project includes finalisation of detailed levee design to 5 per cent AEP protection level, third-party impact assessments and mitigation strategy implementation, and construction and commissioning of the levee and related infrastructure.
Reconstruction of the levee system is due to commence in mid to late 2026, with additional mitigation works to be undertaken for those properties outside the levee who are adversely impacted by the levee raising.
Council will be contacting the community of North Wagga Wagga about the implementation of the project.
