Maitland Council adopts interim flood assessment rules as it reworks draft DCP controls

newy.com.au – Maitland City Council will use an interim approach to assess development applications on flood-prone land across the local government area while it reconsiders proposed flooding controls in the draft Maitland Development Control Plan 2026.

The council said the decision followed strong community feedback on the draft plan, with most submissions raising concerns about how new flood controls could affect development, insurance and property values.

In a statement on Monday 9 February 2026, council said the interim measure was unanimously supported at its 9 December 2025 meeting and would apply until the flooding chapter of the draft plan returns to councillors for further consideration.

Under the interim approach, applications within existing flood planning areas will be assessed using the NSW Flood Risk Management Manual 2023, the Maitland Local Environment Plan 2011 and the Maitland Development Control Plan 2011.

Maitland City Council’s director city planning, Trevor Ryan, said the interim measure was designed to keep decision-making consistent and clear while further work was done on flood planning controls. “The intent of the interim measure is to provide clarity and transparency to applicants in flood planning areas for development applications that are currently in our system as well as future applications that Council receives during the interim period,” he said.

The draft Maitland Development Control Plan was publicly exhibited for 10 weeks from May to August 2025, with council reporting more than three-quarters of submissions focused on flooding controls. Council said 76% of submissions addressed proposed flood provisions across the local government area.

Respondents raised concerns the proposed controls could limit development potential and economic activity in Maitland’s central business district, while also affecting insurance premiums and home values more broadly, council said.

Ryan said the consultation results showed the need for a broader approach. “This feedback highlights the importance of Council taking an evidence-based, more holistic and long-term approach to flood risk management,” he said.

He said improved data would play a key role in future assessments. “Access to more current flooding data will improve our ability to assess development applications on flood-affected land in line with legislative requirements,” Ryan said.

Council said it was continuing to review submissions on other parts of the draft plan and expected to present an updated draft DCP, excluding the flooding chapter, to councillors by April 2026.

A floodplain risk management study and plan for the Maitland local government area is being developed and will be placed on public exhibition for community comment later in 2026, with council saying it would provide an evidence-based framework for planning controls and inform the flooding chapter before it returns to council.