Case Study - Local Government
Flood monitoring across NSW's high-risk councils
Real-time water level monitoring deployed under the NSW Government’s Natural Hazards Detection System (NHDS) program to improve early warning capability and community safety.
Rainfall in a single event
Data captured continuously throughout
Average installation time per site
Rapid rollout across remote locations
Councils covered under NHDS Phase 2
12-month live field pilotFlood-prone councils making decisions without data
Shoalhaven City Council and Clarence Valley Council are two of the most flood-affected local government areas in NSW. Both have extensive low-lying terrain, complex drainage networks, and a history of rapid, damaging flood events.
When major rain arrives, operational teams need to act fast but traditionally they’ve done so with limited real-time visibility. Flood response relied on manual checks, SES local knowledge, and post-event analysis. There was no consistent picture of where water levels were rising, which locations were most at risk, or how quickly conditions were deteriorating.
Operational teams had no way to answer critical questions after each event: Where did the network hit capacity? Which areas were submerged the longest? Did levels spike rapidly or creep up? Without that data, planning decisions were backed by assumption rather than evidence.
The NSW Government’s Natural Hazards Detection System (NHDS) program was created specifically to address this gap, trialling new technologies to improve early hazard detection and give emergency services the data they need to protect communities.
Real-time radar monitoring deployed at the highest-risk sites
As part of NHDS, Kallipr deployed a network of flood monitoring units and rain tipping bucket gauges across critical locations in the council area. Sites were selected in collaboration with the SES, prioritising locations with the greatest flood risk and the most need for early warning data.
Devices are mounted to bridges, culverts, drainage channels and flood markers using a rapid-install bracket system. Data is transmitted continuously via Cat-M1 or NB-IoT networks, with dual antenna configurations to maintain signal even at remote, low-coverage sites.
- High-accuracy non-contact radar sensors – measure water height without touching the flow, eliminating fouling and reducing ongoing maintenance
- IP68-rated field hardware – certified to operate fully submerged at 5 m for 14 days, maintaining data continuity even during complete inundation
- Rapid install per site – enabling fast, scalable rollout across multiple remote locations with minimal operational disruption
- Cat-M1 / NB-IoT connectivity – with internal and external antenna options for reliable transmission in flood-affected, low-signal areas
- Rain tipping bucket gauges – provide correlated rainfall data alongside water level readings for a complete event picture
- Kallipr Kloud dashboard – live data, threshold alerts, and trend visualisation accessible by council and emergency management teams
- SCADA and emergency system integration – data routed directly into existing council and SES platforms where required
Live data from real events, from day one
The monitoring network was live within weeks of mobilisation, and has already captured meaningful data from active flood events across one of the council areas.
During one extreme rainfall event, a deployed site recorded 269 mm of rainfall in a short window. Water levels climbed rapidly, peaking just under 3 metres. For one hour, the radar sensor was fully submerged – yet the system continued transmitting data throughout the event, capturing the full rise, peak, and recession of the flood.
That single dataset now provides intelligence that didn’t exist before: where flood models match reality and where they don’t, which assets need protection or redesign, and which locations are most likely to be affected first in the next event. Decisions that were previously backed by assumption can now be backed by evidence.
As the 12-month pilot programs progress, both councils will build an increasingly detailed picture of their highest-risk locations across multiple events, enabling smarter planning, faster emergency response, and more targeted capital investment.
- Confirming where flood models match reality and where they need revision
- Identifying infrastructure assets that need protection, relocation or redesign
- Prioritising maintenance and capital works based on measured exposure data
- Supporting post-event decisions with evidence rather than assumption
- Providing SES and emergency teams with early warning thresholds and real-time alerts
- Building a longitudinal dataset that improves in value with every subsequent event
The technology behind the deployment
Is your council ready for the next flood
Find out how Kallipr's flood monitoring system can give your operational and emergency teams the real-time data they need to respond faster and plan smarter
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