Bowral South Update
Bowral South was first proposed as a potential housing site in the Wingecarribee Housing Strategy in June 2020, along with another five sites in the Shire.
At the time, Water NSW wrote to council expressing concern about Bowral South due to potential flooding and water quality issues. Water NSW advised that the 2014 Wingecarribee Flood Study, prepared by Snowy Mountains Engineering Corporation, did not adequately address the release of water from the Wingecarribee Dam during significant rainfall events or in the event of a dam failure.
In 2021, council engaged WMA to undertake a flood study of the Wingecarribee River but this report underestimates the influence of water releases from Wingecarribee Dam as in a rain event in March 2022. The report relies on previous flood modelling and underestimates the impact on land downstream of the dam.
In May 2024, the Department of Climate Change wrote to council advising flood planning needs to be based on a suitable risk assessment over the full range of floods up to the Probable Maximum Flood (PMF) and that land planning should be aligned with principles of the Flood Risk Management Manual.
Despite this advice from the State Government, council approved the exhibition of the current Master Plan for Bowral South. Council did not comply with State Government requirements regarding the preparation of a Flood Impact Risk Assessment for Bowral South, deciding to divide it into two parts, with part one being approved by council on 15 October 2025.
The recently completed Flood Impact Risk Assessment has been received by council and will be considered by the Floodplain Risk Management Advisory Committee on 3 August 2026. A brief review of the report indicates it was informed by feedback from Water NSW, Department of Climate Change and NSW SES. The report advice is that 12 lots be removed from the Master Plan and 287 lots, affected by the PMF event modelling, should be either deleted from the Master Plan or have the flooding risk reduced, i.e. filling the site.
There are many unanswered questions regarding this development, including compliance with requirements of Water NSW, Department of Climate Change and Dam Safety NSW, insurance issues for homeowners and for council on infrastructure.
