The adoption or otherwise by Singleton Council of the Floodplain Risk Management Plan could prove to be, the currently elected Council's, biggest test.
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That is the opinion of Singleton resident and lawyer Belinda Charlton who spoke against the vote proceeding on the Plan's adoption at the last Council meeting held in February.
Following her address, along with others, Council voted to defer a decision on the Plan.
"I simply want Council to act in an accountable and transparent manner that supports community confidence in the governance of the organisation," she told the Singleton Argus.
"We don't want to see such a significant report and Plan adopted under the veil of night just to get it through.
"It should have been properly advertised in the agenda and due process followed for such a significant document that will impact the Singleton community.
"It is critically important we get this right especially in light of the flood in Broke in July 2022 and Lismore in February that year."
Among her many concerns about the Plan she questioned why the Council's Floodplain Risk Management Committee did not ensure that is was aligned to the the NSW Government updated Floodplain Risk Manual that was released in June 2023.
"The Committee did not meet to consider whether they were aligning their Terms with that best practice Manual?," she said.
"Furthermore, there is insufficient information provided to determine whether or not Council is actually adopting the Flood levels, the Flood Area and the proposed PMF. It is also unclear whether Council is aware of the ramifications of the adoption of such matters including that there will be immediate implications for the issuing of Planning Certificates and Funding the proposed outcomes."
"For instance, does Council have a budget to fund things like the $6 million spend on the Dunolly levy?"
The Dunolly levy of one of the recommendations in the Plan and one that concerns Ms Charlton.
Her lived experiences are at the heart of her concerns, as she was a downtown resident during the 2007 floods, and witnessed how close the floodwaters came to topping the levee.
She asked what evacuation routes would be used for Dunolly residents if the proposed levee was breached in a future flood event.
"Why wasn't voluntary house purchases for Dunolly and Glenridding recommended as an option in light of recent flood events," she said.
"We need to educate our community on how to respond to floods and Council need to engage with experts to fully understand all the technicalities of flood risk management."