Property flood reports and maps
Council recently adopted the Tweed Valley Flood Study Update and Expansion 2024.
Users are advised that the property flood reports currently available use mapping and levels from the Tweed Valley Flood Study 2009, which is now superseded. An update to the property flood reports is now in progress.
Until revised reports are made available, the current property flood reports should be used with due care and at the user’s own risk.
To locate your property and find out if a flood report is available use our mapping tool.
(For the best experience use Google Chrome on a PC or laptop - the mapping tool is not designed for mobile phones).
What's in a property flood report?
These reports tell you what you need to know about a property and its flood risk. It shows house floor and flood levels and provides information on nearby levees and river gauges (if applicable).
**Reports are automatically generated and have not been quality controlled, some of the information may not be correct.
You may wish to seek professional advice before acting on any information contained in one of the reports.
See frequently asked questions
Access mapping tool
Flood event scenarios
For details on different flood event scenarios in the Tweed see:
Also see our flood studies page
What is a Design Flood Event?
A benchmark major flood that forms the basis of design standards for many planning, building and development related criteria (i.e minimum habitable floor levels). In the Tweed, this is roughly equivalent to the March 2017 flood in Murwillumbah and Tumbulgum or the February 1954 flood in Chinderah and Tweed Heads.
The Design Flood Event is based on a 1% Annual Exceedance Probability (AEP) which has a 1% chance of occurring in any single year. This means that if you experienced a 1% AEP flood last year, the chance of experiencing a similar flood this year is still 1%. Sometimes, a flood of this size flood gets called a ‘1 in 100 Year’ flood.
What is a climate change flood event?
The projected 2100 Design Flood Event considering expected sea level rise and increased rainfall intensity. Following 2007 guidance from the NSW Government, this event is based on a 0.91m rise in sea levels and a 10% increase in rainfall intensity.
What is a Probable Maximum Flood Event?
The PMF is a theoretical flood resulting from the highest intensity rainfall that could possibly occur within the catchment, and therefore is extremely rare and unlikely.
PMF is used for emergency planning, evacuation planning and locating critical infrastructure, such as hospitals. It is also used to determine which areas are potentially flood prone (in the floodplain) and which areas are flood free (only land outside of the PMF extent is truly ‘flood free’).
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
If I am outside of the Design Flood Event am I safe from all floods?
No. The design flood event is a benchmark used to define reasonable criteria for planning, building and development. It is not the maximum extent of flooding.
The Probable Maximum Flood (PMF) is the maximum extent of flooding. However, it does not include local stormwater flooding and areas outside Council’s current flood studies.
Where did the March 2017 flood get to?
Council does not hold accurate records of individual flood events down to a street level resolution. Historic records are generally only available where there is/was an electronic river gauge recording water levels.
You can view Council's March 2017 Flood Report(PDF, 884KB)
How does flood mapping affect insurance?
Council is aware that insurance premiums have increased in recent years. The inclusion of flood insurance in home and contents policies accounts for some, but not all, of the recent increases in premiums.
Flood mapping has been available for the Tweed Valley since 2005 and is not new. Council has made its flood mapping available to insurance companies because, in the absence of flood mapping, insurers tend to quote higher premiums to cover unknown risk. Pricing is a matter for each insurance company to determine based on a variety of factors. If you receive an unaffordable quote for insurance you should shop around as there are widely varying approaches and premiums with different companies.
What is my minimum habitable floor level?
New, habitable development must comply with Council’s Minimum Habitable Floor Level (MHFL). MHFL in the Tweed Shire is 0.5 metres above the Design Flood Level.
You can find your MHFL on your Property Flood Report, or add 0.5 metres to the level extracted from the design flood level maps.
If you property is outside of the flood mapping areas, refer to Development Control Plan (DCP) Section A3 - Development of Flood Liable Land for your Minimum Habitable Floor Level.
Are there any other requirements for building and development on flood liable land?
Why don’t the property flood reports include local stormwater or flash flooding?
Flooding can happen in a number of ways:
- high tides and elevated ocean levels can inundate coastal areas
- prolonged rain over the catchment can cause the Tweed River to overtop its banks
- intense localised rain can cause small creeks to rise very quickly (referred to as flash flooding)
- inundation can occur when the capacity of stormwater infrastructure is exceeded.
Some or all of these types of flooding can occur during the same weather event which makes it impossible to show on a single map.
Why isn’t a Property Flood Report available for my property?
Property Flood Reports are not available for some properties. This may be for one of the following reasons:
- the property is outside of the extents of Council’s current flood studies and mapping
- Council does not have an approximate floor level for your dwelling or business
- your property is a strata or community title lot. Property Floods Reports may only be available for the parent land parcel.
Who do I contact if I have a question about flooding at my property?
Contact us to ask any questions about the property flood reports.