A LONDONDERRY resident rang the Gazette last week, outraged at the effect he feared a letter from Penrith Council would have on his property value.
The Sutherland Road resident, who did not wish to be named, said he received a letter dated March 20 which said his property will receive a flood notification on its 149 planning certificate.
“Having a property deemed as flood-affected devalues the property substantially and greatly affects resale opportunities,” he said. “Of great concern is the paragraph which suggests that all affected properties, regardless of their current flood level rating, will have a flood notation applied. Our property until last week was rated as flood-free.
“This was an overnight change with no consultation, proof or any valid reasoning. Something smells about this decision and the vague wording of the document supports that entirely.”
The letter said the council had received legal advice about which properties should have the flood notation applied, based on a 2006 study.
What also infuriated the resident was that the letter said that the council was currently undertaking 24 detailed studies of the areas most at risk in the LGA, but that they were prepared to slap the notation on him before the studies were completed.
“Overnight, we’ve become flood-affected,” he said. “This has huge implications for landowners.”
The resident’s concerns came after localised flooding in the township earlier this month. Seven homes were briefly inundated. The Gazette reported on a house on Muscharry Road which flooded with 30cm of water. Residents said it was a blocked drain but the council inspected and said there was no blockage.
Penrith Council told the Gazette that the flood notation letters went out to 2409 properties in rural areas of the LGA. It also said that the resident on Sutherland Road would have had a flood notation on his 149 (5) certificate since 2007, and that the extra notation was on the 149 (2) certificate.
It said the decision to add the extra notations was made at a policy review meeting on February 13.
Regarding the resident’s property value, the council said it was “impossible to predict whether a notation will affect property values”. It also said insurance companies already knew the risk.
There was no joy for the resident regarding the extra studies on flood risk either, with the council saying the studies were concentrating on the CBD and areas of higher impact.
“Council is happy for any property owner to request a review if they believe the information about their property is incorrect,” a spokesman said.
