New Climate Change and Natural Hazards SEPP coming in 2026

What it means for flooding on your project

Councils now have a structured framework to refuse or condition flood-affected DAs more aggressively.

The tolerable risk guideline gives councils a defensible process to tighten conditions, not just a gut feel. Evacuation constraints, community vulnerability, who bears the cost if it floods. All formally in scope. Councils that were already cautious now have clearer grounds to act on it.

No new hard thresholds means flood outcomes are negotiable and harder to predict.

There are no updated flood planning levels or revised AEP targets in this guideline. It is performance based. That creates room to argue, but it also creates uncertainty. Two councils assessing similar sites could reach different conclusions. Expect more disputes, more expert evidence, and longer DA timeframes on flood-affected land.

New opportunities to present alternative solutions

This cuts both ways. If you can demonstrate manageable flood depth and velocity, safe evacuation access, and engineered mitigation, you have a structured case against reflexive council conditions. The framework legitimises the argument. Worth commissioning the right hydraulic report early, before council sets its position.