Public Exhibition - Wee Waa Levee Upgrade

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Consultation has concluded

Narrabri Shire Council is seeking community feedback on the detailed design for the Wee Waa Levee Bank which forms part of a feasibility study to increase the height of the Levee to a design standard equivalent to a 1% AEP flood level with an additional one (1) metre of freeboard.


At the August Ordinary Council Meeting, Council resolved to place the Wee Waa Levee Upgrade to be placed on public exhibition for a period of at least 28 days.


Why increase the height of the Wee Waa Levee Bank?

The township of Wee Waa is located within the Namoi River floodplain and has floodwater contributing from several major waterways including Namoi River, Bobbiwaa Creek, Spring Creek, Bohena Creek and Mollee Creek.

Construction of the Wee Waa Levee Bank (‘the Levee’) was originally completed in 1978 following Wee Waa’s extensive flood damage experienced in the 1971 flood. The Levee is owned and operated by Narrabri Shire Council and has undergone minor improvements and section height increases since its original construction.

Today, the Levee consists of an 8.6 kilometre long earth embankment surrounding the town. It varies in height between two (2) metres and four (4) metres and is typically three (3) metres wide. The crest of the levee is set at one (1) metre above the peak of the 1971 flood for the town. This protects the township of Wee Waa from flood events that reach a 5% Annual Exceedance Probability (AEP*) height with an additional one (1) metre of freeboard**.

A Risk Management Study of the Wee Waa Levee was initiated and conducted by Lyall & Associates recommending that the height be raised to a design standard equivalent to a 1% AEP flood level with one (1) metre of freeboard. Council used the Risk Management Study to successfully apply for the NSW Floodplain Management Grants Program (FM) to fund (with co-contributions from Narrabri Shire Council) the feasibility investigation stage of the Levee Upgrade.

A detailed design has been completed by Alluvium Consulting which found at upgrading the Levee to provide a 1% AEP level of flood protection as well as an additional 1 metre of freeboard would require its crest to be raised by varying amounts (0.5m to 1.2m) over about a 6.2 km length.

The detailed design, accompanied by a feasibility study, proposes the use of earthen material and the construction of a small four hundred (400) metre blockwork wall. The crest, including the blockwork section, will have an all-weather trafficable crest. Upgrades will be required to road crossings and to the thirteen (13) existing floodgates that are located through the Levee.

The detailed design has undergone a third-party review by the NSW Public Works Advisory (PWA).

*The Annual Exceedance Probability (AEP) is the probability that a given rainfall total accumulated over a given duration (usually a year) will be exceeded (Australian Bureau of Meteorology).

**The freeboard for a levee is the height added to the levee to ensure that it can withstand a flood that has reach the levee’s design height; it takes into account factors such as wind or wave action of the water (NSW State Emergency Service)

What happens next?

All comments and suggestions will be taken into consideration and a report will be presented to Council with the outcome of the consultation. Once the Detailed Design is endorsed, Council staff will prepare a submission for the upcoming Federal Government’s Disaster Ready Fund – Round Three (2025/26).

Your Privacy

Narrabri Shire Council takes the privacy of the participants using this site very seriously. Please note that depersonalised contents of your comments made may be made available or reproduced in Council reports.

All personal information collected will be kept in strict confidence. For further information regarding your privacy please refer to Council's Privacy Management Plan Privacy Statement | NSC (nsw.gov.au).

Contact Details

If you have any further questions about the proposed project, please contact Acting Director Infrastructure Delivery, by email council@narrabri.nsw.gov.au or via phone on 02 6799 6866 during business hours.

Please take a minute to tell us if you support the Wee Waa Levee Upgrade Detailed Design Summary?

All submissions will be included in a publicly available report to Council; however, these will not include any personal information.

Hard copies of the design presentation and survey are available at the Wee Waa Library.

Submissions will close Friday 25 October 2024 @ 5:00pm.


Narrabri Shire Council is seeking community feedback on the detailed design for the Wee Waa Levee Bank which forms part of a feasibility study to increase the height of the Levee to a design standard equivalent to a 1% AEP flood level with an additional one (1) metre of freeboard.


At the August Ordinary Council Meeting, Council resolved to place the Wee Waa Levee Upgrade to be placed on public exhibition for a period of at least 28 days.


Why increase the height of the Wee Waa Levee Bank?

The township of Wee Waa is located within the Namoi River floodplain and has floodwater contributing from several major waterways including Namoi River, Bobbiwaa Creek, Spring Creek, Bohena Creek and Mollee Creek.

Construction of the Wee Waa Levee Bank (‘the Levee’) was originally completed in 1978 following Wee Waa’s extensive flood damage experienced in the 1971 flood. The Levee is owned and operated by Narrabri Shire Council and has undergone minor improvements and section height increases since its original construction.

Today, the Levee consists of an 8.6 kilometre long earth embankment surrounding the town. It varies in height between two (2) metres and four (4) metres and is typically three (3) metres wide. The crest of the levee is set at one (1) metre above the peak of the 1971 flood for the town. This protects the township of Wee Waa from flood events that reach a 5% Annual Exceedance Probability (AEP*) height with an additional one (1) metre of freeboard**.

A Risk Management Study of the Wee Waa Levee was initiated and conducted by Lyall & Associates recommending that the height be raised to a design standard equivalent to a 1% AEP flood level with one (1) metre of freeboard. Council used the Risk Management Study to successfully apply for the NSW Floodplain Management Grants Program (FM) to fund (with co-contributions from Narrabri Shire Council) the feasibility investigation stage of the Levee Upgrade.

A detailed design has been completed by Alluvium Consulting which found at upgrading the Levee to provide a 1% AEP level of flood protection as well as an additional 1 metre of freeboard would require its crest to be raised by varying amounts (0.5m to 1.2m) over about a 6.2 km length.

The detailed design, accompanied by a feasibility study, proposes the use of earthen material and the construction of a small four hundred (400) metre blockwork wall. The crest, including the blockwork section, will have an all-weather trafficable crest. Upgrades will be required to road crossings and to the thirteen (13) existing floodgates that are located through the Levee.

The detailed design has undergone a third-party review by the NSW Public Works Advisory (PWA).

*The Annual Exceedance Probability (AEP) is the probability that a given rainfall total accumulated over a given duration (usually a year) will be exceeded (Australian Bureau of Meteorology).

**The freeboard for a levee is the height added to the levee to ensure that it can withstand a flood that has reach the levee’s design height; it takes into account factors such as wind or wave action of the water (NSW State Emergency Service)

What happens next?

All comments and suggestions will be taken into consideration and a report will be presented to Council with the outcome of the consultation. Once the Detailed Design is endorsed, Council staff will prepare a submission for the upcoming Federal Government’s Disaster Ready Fund – Round Three (2025/26).

Your Privacy

Narrabri Shire Council takes the privacy of the participants using this site very seriously. Please note that depersonalised contents of your comments made may be made available or reproduced in Council reports.

All personal information collected will be kept in strict confidence. For further information regarding your privacy please refer to Council's Privacy Management Plan Privacy Statement | NSC (nsw.gov.au).

Contact Details

If you have any further questions about the proposed project, please contact Acting Director Infrastructure Delivery, by email council@narrabri.nsw.gov.au or via phone on 02 6799 6866 during business hours.

Please take a minute to tell us if you support the Wee Waa Levee Upgrade Detailed Design Summary?

All submissions will be included in a publicly available report to Council; however, these will not include any personal information.

Hard copies of the design presentation and survey are available at the Wee Waa Library.

Submissions will close Friday 25 October 2024 @ 5:00pm.


  • CLOSED: This survey has concluded.

    Wee Waa Levee Upgrade

    Narrabri Shire Council is seeking community feedback on the detailed design of the Wee Waa Levee Bank which forms part of a feasibility study to increase the height of the Levee to a design standard equivalent to a 1% AEP flood level with an additional one (1) metre of freeboard.

    Consultation has concluded
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