Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council (CGRC) is preparing to revitalise 2km of Muttama Creek’s corridor to mitigate existing flood risks to both customers and the environment.
The creek was inspected by CGRC staff and personnel from the design team in late May 2025 to ascertain the current creek condition (including its flow pattern), assess potential flood mitigation works within the creek corridor and discuss issues in relation to gaining permits from various government departments – including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of Primary Industries, Crown Lands, NSW Office of Water, and the Department of Planning, Industry, Environment (DPIE) – for the creek’s improvement.
Council is working with Martens & Associates to prepare a masterplan for the proposed revitalisation works, which will integrate flood mitigations, ecological and public recreation functions along with open space networks and local history and culture.
A core component of the masterplan will be preparation of a concept flood mitigation scheme to improve the Creek’s capability to convey flood water. The aim will be to reduce existing flood affectation within residential land surrounding the Creek while ensuring no unacceptable offsite flood impacts arise elsewhere. The masterplan will consider the ecology of the creek, public open spaces and green corridor integration.
Martens will continue to undertake flood modelling of proposed flood mitigation works aimed at reducing existing flood affectation and minimising any potential offsite flood impacts. The flood mitigation works will be detailed in a Review of Environmental Factors (REF) prepared for Council’s consideration. The location of services, stormwater flow and other influences involving the creek are currently being undertaken alongside the flood modelling.
CGRC called for early public submissions, which it said overwhelmingly called for flood mitigation, other submissions requested that environmental factors be considered and recreational spaces to be implemented.
The flood mitigation works design and REF are expected to be completed in late-June 2025. Once finalised, the masterplan, including flood mitigation works, and REF will be placed on public exhibition and an opportunity to provide comments will be provided.
Under a pre-existing approval by several New South Wales Government departments, Council has commenced cleaning out the creek 10m either side of culverts and bridges. Under this approval the maximum area that Council is permitted to maintain is 10m, upstream and downstream of the structures.
