Levee Upgrade

completed

The Levee Upgrade project was completed in March 2020.

About the Project

Construction to raise the Murrumbidgee River levee system in Wagga Wagga started in October 2017 and completed in March 2020, giving residents for the first time a 1 in 100 year level of protection against flooding.

A total budget of $23 million was allocated towards the Main City Levee and the North Wagga Levee. The cost for delivering the Main City Levee was $14.9M, leaving a budget of approximately $8.4M (subject to grant approval) for potential flood mitigation options for North Wagga.

Construction

The Main City Levee upgrade was delivered through a staged construction:

Stage 1 - (consists of two levee sections) 2017 - Completed January 2019

  • Section 1 – Flowerdale, including spillway, to Gobbagombalin Bridge
  • Section 2 – Copland Street, including spillway, to Kooringal Road Monumental Cemetery

Stage 2 - 2019 - Completed 2020

  • From Gobbagombalin Bridge to Cadell Place wall (parallel to Fitzmaurice Street) to Johnson Street, then from, Riverina Playhouse to Copland St (earthworks commence 7 January 2019)

Funding

The $23 million project to upgrade the Main City and North Wagga levees was jointly funded by:

  • Federal Government's Community Development Grants Program ($10 million)
  • NSW Government's Stage 1 grant funding ($2 million) and Stage 2 grant funding ($2.1 million)
  • Wagga Wagga City Council through a special rate variation, effective from 2016 and maintained for five years ($7.75 million).

Note: Costing of $23 million is pending tender processes and/or variations.

This project was supported by the Federal and State Governments.

Australian Government LogoNSW Government Logo

Upgrading Wagga's Levee

Watch this short video on how the levee project developed from designs and consultation to construction.

Levee Upgrade Project Diary

December 2018

Kooringal Rd spillway levee

SAFE CYCLING: Construction of the new concrete pedestrian and cycling paths atop the levee at Kooringal Road are nearing completion.

November 2018

McCormack tours levee upgrade

FLOOD PROTECTION: Acting Prime Minister Michael McCormack is shown the progress of the Main City Levee upgrade at Kooringal Rd by Mayor Greg Conkey and Council's Senior Project Manager Darryl Woods.

October 2018

levee kooringal rd footpath

SMOOTH CYCLING: More than 200m of concrete was poured in the second week in October atop the new section of levee bank constructed along Kooringal Rd. The new three-metre width path starts at Cemetery Road and will eventually link up with the existing cycle path at Copland Rd. The new pathway will be open by the end year when construction works are scheduled for completion.

August 2018

  • Construction on a new 800m section of levee is underway near the Monumental Cemetery on Kooringal Road.
  • The existing levee - directly opposite the Exhibition Centre Netball Courts - will be reinforced, widened and a 130m concrete spillway built as a flood mitigation protection.
  • Head walls on either side of Copland Street are also under construction. In the event of a major flood additional temporary barriers are locked in to these strong structures to secure the levee.
  • This stage of the levee project is scheduled for completion by January 2019.

Residents should be mindful of increased truck movements at the Kooringal Road/Copland Street site during construction.

Levee works at Kooringal Rd

FLOOD PROTECTION: Wagga Wagga City Council’s Senior Project Manager Darryl Woods and Project Coordinator Graham Cox review plans for the section of new levee under construction on Kooringal Road.

June 2018

  • The contract for the remaining $1.14M of Stage 1 works was awarded to local company Burgess Earthmoving to complete Stage 1 of the Main City Levee upgrade from Copland Street, including the spillway, through to the Monumental Cemetery.
  • The initial Stage 1 contractor, Central West Civil, has completed its component of the project.
  • The tender package for Stage 2 was released on 29 June.

May 2018

  • Sheet piling is installed along a 30-metre stretch of the levee bank to demonstrate what is to come as a part of Stage 2 of the upgrade.
  • The process involves driving steel sheets approximately four metres into the ground to create a wall along the levee bank that is approximately a metre high and achieves a 1 in 100 year level of protection against flooding.

DEMONSTRATION WORKS: Sheet piling will occur where there is limited space on the existing levee and not enough room to use earth to raise the height of the levee.

March 2018

  • Construction on the Main City Levee upgrade continues following successful discussions between Wagga Wagga City Council and contractor Central West Civil.
  • A deed has been signed to vary the scope of works that Central West Civil was initially contracted to complete. Under the deed, Central West Civil will resolve issues with existing work and complete the Flowerdale downstream spillway.

November 2017

Works undertaken to date to raise and strengthen the Main City Levee include:

  • Tree and top soil removal at the Flowerdale section
  • A total of 48,000 tonnes of clay has been stockpiled on site in preparation for reshaping and reconstruction of the levee
  • Preparation works for the construction of a new concrete spillway at Flowerdale will start in the new year
  • Works have also started at the Kooringal Road/Copland Street end of the levee.

Residents should be mindful of increased truck movements at both the Flowerdale and Kooringal Road/Copland Street sites during construction.

MAKING PROGRESS: Director Commercial Operations Caroline Angel, Mayor of the City of Wagga Wagga Councillor Greg Conkey and Senior Project Manager Darryl Woods inspected the works currently underway at the Flowerdale section of the Main City Levee upgrade.

DIGGING IN: Stage 1 works have so far included tree and top soil removal at the Flowerdale section in preparation for reshaping and reconstruction of the levee.

October 2017

Central West Civil starts site preparation at Flowerdale Lagoon end of levee. During the first week residents will see temporary fences erected and various preparation works completed, including surveying and setting out of the work site. By mid-October heavy machinery, such as graders, diggers and trucks, will be working on site.

During construction of the levee upgrade some sections of the Wiradjuri Walking Track, which runs alongside the Murrumbidgee River, will be subject to temporary closures.These closures are to allow for the safe construction of the levee upgrade.Closures of the walking track associated with the Main City Levee upgrade are:

  • Flowerdale Lagoon – closed for duration of project (October 2017 – April 2018)
  • Copland Street/Kooringal Road roundabout to Monumental Cemetery – closed from 1 November 2017 to February 2018

Residents are also reminded to be mindful of a larger-than-normal number of truck movements in the Flowerdale and Narrung Street areas during the works.

All dates are subject to weather and works and any additional interruptions will be advertised accordingly.

WORK PREP: At the end of October thousands of cubic metres of dirt was moved to Flowerdale in preparation of the levee upgrade.

August 2017

Contracts exchanged between Wagga Wagga City Council and Central West Civil to construct stage 1 of the Main City levee upgrade.

Federal Government announcement of $10M committment to help deliver the entire Wagga Wagga levee project.

Site preparation will be established in late September with residents able to see work happening on the levee banks from October 2017.

SIGNED, SEALED, READY TO BE DELIVERED: General Manager Robert Knight, Senior Project Officer Darryl Woods, General Manager of Central West Civil Simon Withers and Mayor Greg Conkey OAM after the signing of contracts for stage 1 of the Main City Levee upgrade in August 2017.

RED LETTER DAY: Federal Member for Riverina Michael McCormack (right) was on hand at the signing of the contracts for stage 1 of the Main City Levee upgrade and to officially announce the Federal Government's $10M commitment to the Wagga Wagga Levee upgrades. Also pictured is General Manager of Central West Civil Simon Withers, who was in Wagga Wagga to sign the contracts for stage 1 of the Main City Levee upgrade, and Mayor of the City of Wagga Wagga Greg Conkey OAM.

May/June 2017 - Report prepared for council. Report presented to June Council recommending staff enter into discussions with preferred tenderer.

April 2017 - Stage 1 tenders closed.

March 2017 - Site meeting for Stage 1 of Main City levee upgrade well attended by prospective tenderers.

February 2017 - Tender released to market

January 2017 - Decision to proceed to tender for Stage 1 of Main City levee upgrade approved by councillors at January Ordinary Council Meeting

FUTURE PROOFING: Work will start on upgrading the Main City Levee in Wagga Wagga in October 2017. Excavators and machinery will move in from October 3, starting at the Flowerdale section of the levee, moving around to the Wiradjuri Bridge. Works will then start on section 2, starting at Copland Street and moving south towards Kooringal Road Monumental Cemetery. In total, machinery will move 25,000 cubic metres of clay, topsoil and granite as part of the stage 1 upgrade of the levee.

Upgrading 6km of levee bank is a complex and lengthy project. Construction will be undertaken in phases.

Impacts to residents during construction:
Due to the nature of the works, some noise, dust and vibration will be generated in work areas. Heavy machinery will be in operation in the area. Council will work with the contractor to minimise disruptions as much as possible and thank residents and businesses for their cooperation throughout these works.

Phase 1: Wiradjuri Bridge to Johnston Street
Dates: 7 January to August 2019
Works: *extend existing concrete retaining walls *capped sheet piles
Changes:
*temporary closure of Wiradjuri Walking Track from Wiradjuri Bridge to Johnson Street

Phase 2: Johnson Street to Marshalls Creek Bridge (Hammond Avenue)
Dates: June 2019 - mid-2020 
Works: *earth works to raise and widen the levee *capped sheet piles
Changes:
*staged temporary closure of sections of the Wiradjuri Walking Track from Johnston Street to Marshalls Creek Bridge (Hammond Avenue). Pedestrians and cyclists are advised to follow closure and detour signs.

April 2019

IMPROVEMENTS: The car park on the corner of Fitzmaurice and Crampton streets is sealed as part of the Main City Levee upgrade.

reseal car park

March 2019

PROGRESS: The second pour of concrete along a 300 metre section of the levee bank upgrade took place in Cadell Place this month. The levee is being raised approx. 600mm in the section from Crampton Street to where sheet piling starts at Sturt Street. And (below) sheetpiling works in action.

levee concrete wall pour

levee sheetpiling works

January 2019

  • Site compounds will be set up in a section of the Wagga Wagga Beach carpark and the Wagga Wagga City Council carpark on the corner of Fitzmaurice and Crampton Streets.
  • Motorists are advised there are changes to timed parking in Crampton St and Fitzmaurice Streets.
  • There is no change to access to Wagga Beach.
  • In addition, safety fencing will be erected along the levee bank in the first section works between Wiradjuri Bridge and Johnston St.

Walking Track closures

December 2018

Contract signing of levee stage 2

SIGNING ON: Member for Riverina, the Hon. Michael McCormack MP with City of Wagga Wagga Mayor, Cr Greg Conkey and General Manager, Peter Thompson sign the contract of works to seal the start of Stage 2 works on Wagga Wagga's Main City Levee on 21 December 2018.

Read more: Stage 2 information factsheet (PDF, 425.2 KB)

Levee stages

Levee Upgrade Documents

Levee Upgrade FAQs

Background and importance

Construction to raise the Murrumbidgee River levee system in Wagga Wagga started in October 2017, giving residents for the first time a 1 in 100 year level of protection against flooding.

Strengthening the levee system will help safeguard the central business district, many of the city’s critical assets and thousands of homes.

The journey from concept to construction has been a complex process and Wagga Wagga City Council staff have been working tirelessly in the background to ensure the project is executed to the highest standard, and that what is built, is considered and built to last.

Community consultation has been vital throughout the levee upgrade process. Feedback, suggestions, ideas and advice collected from the many community sessions and forums have helped inform final designs and decisions.

How will the levee upgrade be constructed and how long will it take?

The Main City Levee upgrade will be delivered through a staged construction.

Stage 1 – consists of two levee sections:

Section 1: Flowerdale, including spillway, to Wiradjuri Bridge

Section 2: Copland Street, including spillway, to Kooringal Road Monumental Cemetery

Note: Spillways are built to allow for controlled entry of water over the levee system if a flooding event exceeds the design height of the levee. Wagga’s Murrumbidgee levee system has two spillways, one in the downstream side at Flowerdale (see video below), the other in the upstream side at Kooringal.

Stage 2 - Gobbagombalin Bridge to Cadell Place wall (parallel to Fitzmaurice Street) to Johnson Street, then from, Riverina Playhouse to Hammond Avenue.

Stage 1  is expected to be complete by January 2019.

Stage 2 construction starts in January, 2019 and will be complete by mid-2020.

Options for a North Wagga Levee are currently being considered. Any works that proceed in North Wagga will be Stage 3 of the levee upgrade project.

How is the levee upgrade being funded?

At a cost of about $23M to upgrade Wagga Wagga's levees, Council and ratepayers simply cannot fund the entire levee upgrade project. Financial contributions are needed from all three levels of government to fund the project.

The following funding contributions have been made to cover the $23M cost of the Wagga Wagga levee upgrades:

  • City of Wagga Wagga - raising one-third share of $7.75M through a special rate variation, effective from 2016 and maintained for five years
  • State Government - stage 1 grant funding of $2M and stage 2 grant funding of $2.1M
  • Federal Government - $10M funding under the Community Development Grants Programme

Note: Costing of $23M is pending tender processes and/or variations.

What will construction look like?

Stage 1 of the levee consists of embankment levee earthen works and construction of two concrete spillways. Residents will see movement on the banks of the levee from September 2017 for site preparation works. Excavators will move in from October, starting at the Flowerdale section of the levee, moving around to the Wiradjuri Bridge. Works will then start on section 2, starting at Copland Street and moving south towards Kooringal Road Monumental Cemetery.
The works include removing the existing topsoil and grass, shaping and scraping the existing levee to allow for key-in of the new material and compacting the new levee to the required standards. The slope and shape of the levee is designed to minimise erosion and will be finished off with a decomposed granite surface allowing for all-weather access and reducing moisture entry into the clay bank.

In total, machinery will move 25,000 cubic metres of clay, topsoil and granite as part of the stage 1 upgrade of the levee.

The Wagga Wagga levees are designed to cater for a specific design flood and include a freeboard allowance of about 900mm. The design is based on analysis of historical data and extensive hydraulic modelling to determine flood levels along the length of river in the floodplain around Wagga Wagga.

Common practice when building a levee is to place a spillway in the levee. These spillways are designed to allow floods that are in excess of 500mm above the design height to enter protected zones in a controlled manner. Two concrete spillways will be included in Stage 1 of the levee upgrade, one on the downstream side at Flowerdale, across the Olympic Highway from the former Alan Staunton Park, 350metres wide. The second on the upstream side, parallel to Kooringal Road, just upstream from Copland Street, 100metres wide.

Stage 2 will comprise of predominately capped sheet piles that will protrude from the earth levee running the length of the Cadell Place wall (parallel to Fitzmaurice Street) to Johnson Street, then from, Riverina Playhouse to Hammond Avenue. In addition to the sheet piling, raising and extending the existing concrete retaining walls along Cadell Place and behind Watermark apartments, will also be part of this stage.

What is sheetpiling?

Sheetpiling will occur where there is limited space on the existing levee and not enough room to use earth to raise the height of the levee.

Stage 2 will involve just under two kilometres of sheet piling. A 30-metre stretch of sheetpiling has been built along Tarcutta Street as a demonstration.

The process involves driving steel sheets approximately 2.7 m into the ground to create a wall along the levee bank that is approximately one metre high and achieves a 1 in 100 year level of protection against flooding. The wall will be capped with aerated concrete blocks. Council has worked with a local artist to design an artwork to be installed along sections of the capping.

Designated access points have been incorporated into the sheetpiling design to enable access to the riverside.

During construction will there be impacts to residents?

Upgrading the levee is a major project and residents should expect some disruptions. However, council and the contractors will ensure every effort is made to keep disruptions or inconveniences to a minimum. Landholders will be informed directly of any disruptions or changes. All other messages or information to residents will be made available as necessary via this webpage, Council News, Council’s Facebook or social media.

What levee works are underway at Kooringal Rd?

As part of Stage 1, a new 800m section of levee is being constructed from the Monumental Cemetery to the disused railway line where it will join with the existing levee bank. The new section of levee is being constructed in accordance with Wagga Wagga’s 1 in 100-year flood planning strategy.

The existing levee - directly opposite the Exhibition Centre Netball Courts – is being reinforced, widened and a 130m concrete spillway built as a flood mitigation protection.

Head walls on either side of Copland Street are also under construction. In the event of a major flood additional temporary barriers are locked in to these strong structures to secure the levee.

Stage 1 of the levee project at Kooringal Road is scheduled for completion by January 2019.

Will a bike path be built on the levee bank at Kooringal Road?

On completion, the entire section of levee commencing from Cemetery Rd to Copland St will be paved and become part of the Kooringal Link, one of the cycleway routes adopted in the city’s Active Travel Plan.

How have residents been consulted throughout this project, and, will there be updates throughout the delivery of the project?

Wagga Wagga City Council continues to have conversations with the Wagga Wagga community in respect to flood management. Council staff have met face-to-face, or had phone conversations with landholders directly affected by the project. Direct updates will be provided to these landholders as the project progresses.

A dedicated projects page for the levee upgrade can be found on the Wagga Wagga City Council website, www.wagga.nsw.gov.au/levee. Updates will also be available via Council’s social media pages and through Council News. residents are encouraged to sign up for updates via email. Subscribe at the top of this page.

Are there any environmental impacts?

As with any project of this size and complexity, a full and comprehensive Review of Environmental Factors (REF) was required and subsequently completed by Wagga Wagga City Council staff.

The Review of Environmental Factors identified that the levee upgrade concept is environmentally, socially and economically beneficial to the wider Wagga Wagga community and there was no requirement to carry out a broader Environmental Impact Assessment.

What about North Wagga?

In July 2015 the Council resolved to proceed with the construction of the Main City Levee to provide a 1 in 100 year level of protection, making allowances for the possibility that the North Wagga Levee may also be constructed to provide up to a 1 in 100 year level of protection.

A final position on upgrading the North Wagga Levee is dependent on decisions voted on by the Floodplain Risk Management Advisory Committee as part of an overall update of the Wagga Wagga Floodplain Risk Management Study and Plan. This study and plan are currently being finalised. A report recommending to place the draft study and plan, including options for North Wagga, on public exhibition is expected to go before the Council in the coming months.

Last Updated: 01/06/2026
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