Tamworth Regional Council's new flood plan different for neighbours

As the Leader reported in May, houses in the hills of East and North Tamworth have been identified as flood risks for the first time in the city's history.

But not every house carries water the same way, as neighbours on Smith Street in North Tamworth discovered when the local council sent warning letters to only some of the road's residents.

A spokesperson for Tamworth Regional Council recently confirmed that not all Smith Street ratepayers are impacted by the change.

The spokesperson said property owners were only sent a letter "if their property is within the proposed Flood Planning Area," referring to areas listed by council's newly-developed Draft Flood Risk Management Plan.

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The draft plan has not yet been officially adopted by council, but if it gets approval next-door neighbours could be divided by differing insurance premiums and building regulations depending on their flood designation.

Council received feedback on the proposed flood management plan in May, but is withholding publication of the community consultation until August.

The inclusion of properties has been based on homes that would be inundated by at least 150mm of water in a one-in-100 year flooding event.

"Some properties on Smith Street met this criteria," a council spokesperson said.

When the new flood management plan was announced, council's stormwater engineer Aidan Pugh said he'd "like to think" the proposed plan "won't have an affect on insurance premiums directly," as insurers do their own independent assessments.

But some residents aren't convinced, with one community representative arguing to the council's CBD working group that owners of buildings and businesses are going to find it "very hard" to keep insurance on their properties due to the proposed changes.

And the divergence doesn't stop at insurance premiums. Building regulations, akin to the ebb and flow of water, will also vary for Smith Street residents.

Those in flood-prone areas will need to navigate an additional layer of regulations when eyeing developments or expansions to their properties, such as sheds, garages, or in-ground pools.

Developers seeking to build in the area will also encounter the extra rules.

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