Engagement with Local Primary Schools

Potential challenges for suggested mitigation options:

• Cost of mitigation options such as road lowering, drainage lines, and culvert upgrades; • Responsibility and approvals for regrading non-Council roads; • Consideration of competing operational objectives of the Aquatic Centre; • Ensuring flood information is readily available to the community; • Environmental impact and loss of habitat caused by removing vegetation in Urangeline Creek; • Obtaining approval to implement mitigation options such as culvert upgrades and drainage lines on private properties or roads not managed by Council. Engagement with Local Primary Schools During the community consultation visit in October 2018, representatives from WMAwater and Federation Council visited students at Urana Public School and St Francis Xavier Primary School (held in the Federation Council chambers), Rand Public School and Oaklands Public School. The purpose of the school visits was to raise awareness of floods and flood safety through an interactive presentation and discussion. Given the current drought affecting each community, and indeed most of NSW, the presentation began with a discussion of how students and their families had been affected by drought, and why droughts occur. This provided context about the impacts of having not enough rainfall, which led to a discussion of the impacts of receiving too much rainfall instead, and how flooding is caused. During the discussion, primary school students (especially those in years 5 & 6) were asked to share their experiences of the 2012 flood, and students also heard from their teacher’s own experiences of floods in other towns, highlighting how floods do not happen to one town in isolation, but that many towns in the same catchment or river system are also affected. The session included a local knowledge quiz, discussion and activities relating to flood safety, addressing several reasons why you should never walk, drive or play in flood waters. The response from students was overwhelmingly positive, with all students (and teachers) participating in the discussion and activities. One of the most effective means of reducing flood risk in a community is by improving residents’ awareness and understanding of their own flood risk. As a result, Floodplain Risk Management Study and Plans can often make recommendations to improve flood education strategies within the community. The school visits undertaken during the community consultation period forms a basis for continued collaboration between Council and the local primary schools to improve flood awareness in each of the Federation Council villages. DRAFT FOR PUBLIC EXHIBITION