TWO waterways could be connected in a bid to protect country music campers from flooding.
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Barnes Gully and Goonoo Goonoo Creek could become one stream at Locks Lane to decrease the flow of the water in major rain events.
Tamworth Regional Council director of regional services Peter Resch said a proposal for the joining the waterways would be submitted to the NSW Department of Primary Industries.
"It's to take some of the risk away from 5000 campers during the country music festival where Barnes Gully can cut Carter Street very quickly," he said at a council meeting on Tuesday.
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"It will look at protecting the risk of people camping down in that area and also look at protecting council's infrastructure."
In 2004, almost 2000 campers were evacuated from the Riverside sporting fields after water inundated tents, and campervans floated across the flooded ovals.
During flood events, water flowing from Barnes Gully cuts across both Jewry Street and Gipps Street, Mr Resch said.
"There's impacts on our infrastructure," he said.
"I witnessed it [Barnes Gully] come up a foot over there in less than 20 minutes at Gipps Street."
The proposal to join the two waterways will require "detailed discussion" with the DPI and flood studies to examine the impact downstream.
Mayor Russell Webb said modelling for the plans was being carried out.
"We're looking at ways and means about how we can reduce that impact and that flow," he said.
"If we bring Barnes Gully into Goonoo Goonoo Creek and bring that [water] down in a different way and allow that water to go down those flood plains and sporting fields in a different manner, we can reduce the severity and speed of that water."
Flood studies are scheduled for early 2023.
Plans guided by the SES are in place for next year's country music festival, which include monitoring weather forecasts, flood warnings, river gauges and dam levels.
In an event where evacuations are required, campers will receive early notification by text message.
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