The Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley (HNV) is a complex catchment with one of the highest flood risks in Australia, flooding 8 times between 2020-2024.
The HNV was prioritised for the state’s first Disaster Adaptation Plan (DAP) due to its high flood risk and large population that relies on a constrained evacuation network. In the largest possible flood, 234,000 people who live and work on the floodplain would need to be evacuated, with the financial impact estimated at $41.2 billion dollars. The impacts of climate change are expected to increase both the intensity of drought and rainfall events. Higher rainfall is likely to increase frequency and size of floods in the large HNV catchment.
DAPs are a recommendation of the State Disaster Mitigation Plan and support action and investment ahead of disasters to reduce the costs and impacts of natural hazards. They align with DAP Guidelines that provide a framework for this locally shaped, regionally coordinated and State facilitated approach to disaster adaptation planning.
The HNV DAP builds on years of work by the NSW Government to understand flood impacts and reduce risk to life and property. It pioneers this new collaborative approach to disaster adaptation and mitigation and is being developed in partnership with community, local government, other State government agencies, industry and emergency services. It recognises there is no one solution to reduce all flood risk in the HNV, so considers a range of measures, including mitigation infrastructure, improved evacuation routes and warning systems, ways to manage Warragamba Dam and community awareness and preparedness activities.
We want people who live and work in the HNV to share their views on the challenges they face and how they would like to see the impact of floods in the region reduced.
This feedback will help shape the State’s first Disaster Adaptation Plan.
So far, more than 600 people have completed our survey and 1,200 have completed our quick poll. We have also spoken to thousands of residents at community events across the HNV. Information gathered through the survey, in-person engagement, and dedicated Community Panels is shaping the DAP development.
Have your say on how we should address flood risk in the HNV by telling us a little about yourself in the survey below.
Find out more about our work in the Valley and don’t forget to follow this page for updates.
You can contact the HNV DAP team at hnv_dap@reconstruction.nsw.gov.au
The RA has delivered a flood-focused draft foundation Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley Disaster Adaptation Plan (HNV DAP) to Government. It’s intended to be shared with community and other key stakeholders for feedback in late 2025.
The draft foundation HNV DAP sets out early actions to reduce flood risk while more complex options are analysed for delivery through the full HNV DAP, expected to be completed in 2026.
Follow this page for updates.
The Living with the River photo competition celebrates community connection to the Hawkesbury-Nepean River. We received over 600 entries that tell a story of how we live, work and play alongside this mighty waterway.
The winner of the Open Category was Ally Aberley with her image Getting the power back on 2022 (above). Ally and her husband, pictured, are energy company employees and followed strict safety protocols to restore power to a priority area.
