Costly but critical plan for Fairy Meadow flood zone

There are some 60 creeks that run down from the escarpment and onto the coastal flats in the Illawarra. It's going to flood.The risk management study and plan for Fairy and Cabbage Tree creeks is obviously necessary and very welcome, despite the hefty price tag of $25 million for the recommended strategies.That includes $15.6 million to buy up 50-odd houses and units, which provides some idea of the gravity of the situation.Many people opened their mailbox in recent weeks to find a letter from Wollongong City Council informing them that their property had been identified as one that could be flood-affected. For long-term Fairy Meadow residents, memories of 1998 must have come flooding back.Anama St, off the highway near the Cabbage Tree Hotel, was the focus of the area and the nation after those few terrible hours in August 1998.An aerial view of the neighbourhood shows how extensively council's buy-backs have changed the landscape. Bigger change could be around the corner if the motel is also purchased.The costs involved are staggering but the cost of inaction is greater. The study shows that 600 houses and 200 businesses would be flooded above floor level during a one-in-100-year flood, causing an estimated $94 million damage. And of course, it's impossible to put a price on the protection of human life.