Working together for a flood-resilient Newstead

Newstead has a history of flooding. Most recently, the town experienced flood events in 2000, 2010, 2011, 2016 and 2022.

Newstead has an earthen levee. It protects against flooding events similar to the size of the 2022 flood.

The characteristics of the levee are unknown, and no formal management arrangement of the levee exists. Future floods are predicted to be more severe, associated with increased rainfall intensities. This may lead to more frequent floods that could breach the existing levee.

A thorough investigation is required to understand the flood risk for Newstead and inform options for mitigation.

We are working on solutions. Council has asked Water Technology to carry out a flood study and develop a flood mitigation strategy for Newstead. As part of this work, the Hydrology Report (Oct. 2024) and the Hydraulic Modelling Report (Apr. 2025) have been completed. You can read the reports below.

Next Steps

• Estimate flood damage to understand the impact on homes and infrastructure.
• Explore flood mitigation design and high-level costing, to provide Council with information regarding future options
• Update emergency plans using the new flood data to help keep the community safe.
• Share results with the community in the Community Information Session so residents can stay informed and involved.
• Use the flood maps to help decide where it’s safe to build and develop land