If floodwaters were to inundate the Illawarra today, some of the region's most vulnerable areas would only be marginally better placed than they were during the 1998 flood disaster, outcomes based on a recent report suggest.And although the 2010 report recommended $25 million be spent to address the problems, not one of the measures has been implemented.The Wollongong City Council report outlined several areas at risk of flooding in its Fairy Creek and Cabbage Tree Creek flood plain risk management study, which was based on the 1998 and 1984 disasters.The study recommended a raft of measures to reduce the impact of flooding on residential properties and businesses within the coastal plain - which were some of the worst-affected in 1998.Wollongong council's acting general manager Peter Kofod said the council approved the recommendations in November and was now trying to secure funds for their implementation."We are currently in the process of preparing submissions to the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water to secure funds to assist us in implementing these recommendations."The Fairy Creek and Cabbage Tree flood plain covers 10 suburbs from Towradgi and Fairy Meadow to North Wollongong and Keiraville.Up to 7000 people live in the 20sqkm catchment in almost 3000 dwellings.The council also vowed to undertake flood plain risk management plans for Mullet and Brooks creeks, Towradgi Creek, Allans Creek, Minnigang Creek and Hewitts Creek, Wollongong City, Collins Creek and Duck Creek. Of those, two are yet to be undertaken.The council yesterday conceded that demolition work completed on Bulli Dam last year would increase the chances of flooding.‘‘This has been determined as a preferable and more manageable option to risking failure of the dam,’’ Mr Kofod said. He said no new flood dangers had been posed by the construction of the University of Wollongong’s Innovation Campus.‘‘The campus has been built to its original plan, which takes into account the impact of the building and allows any floodwaters to be directed to the northern area of the site, which has not been developed,’’ he said. ‘‘The northern section of the Innovation Campus site is a designated floodway ... [There are] no building structures permitted in this area.’’The council insisted it had implemented several strategies which would better prepare the region for flooding, including detention basins, protection works and voluntary purchase schemes of flood-affected properties.‘‘We’ve also been involved in the preparation of an Emergency Management Plan for the city, and developed our own internal Emergency Infrastructure Plan which supports [the] council’s assets,’’ Mr Kofod said.The flood-plain management study revealed that as many as 599 houses and 206 businesses would be flooded above floor level during a one-in-100-year flood, causing damage worth an estimated $94million.Implementing the proposed strategies would reduce the number of houses likely to be flooded above floor level in an extreme flood by almost one-third, from 599 to 423.