Newcastle council is considering storm water upgrades around the flooding hot spot at the King and Steel street intersection in Newcastle West.
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The busy intersection most recently went underwater on February 15, prompting the early end of a gig at the King Street Bandroom after water washed into the venue.
King Street's operations manager Angus Harper said the intersection of King and Steel streets had been "a nightmare for 20 years".
City of Newcastle, which manages the storm water drainage network with Hunter Water, said there were no concerns with the condition of the storm water assets at the intersection, "however the nature of the weather event temporarily overwhelmed the capacity of the network".
The council has completed a hydraulic study that identified "beneficial" storm water upgrades in this area, including storm water pit and pipe upgrades.
"These works will be considered for delivery via CN's forward capital works program," a City of Newcastle spokesperson said.
King Street is a "classified regional road", which are thoroughfares that connect state and local roads. They are managed by councils with financial support from the state government.
City of Newcastle said it regularly maintained the intersection to ensure the assets continued to operate effectively.
"Any maintenance works associated with repairs to pipes/pits are scheduled into CN's routine road maintenance program," the council spokesperson said.
The council said it had invested more than $34 million in storm water upgrades in the past five years, with another $5 million budgeted for delivery this year.
History of flooding
Mr Harper said the King and Steel street intersection had been a nightmare for 20 years, but Newcastle Herald archives suggest flooding has been an issue in the area for more than 60 years.
A photo of Steel Street from 1960 depicting the street's fruit and vegetable trade includes the caption, "And to make matters worse, when heavy rain combined with spring high tides, part of nearby King Street would flood, causing chaos".
Upon being awarded an Emergency Services Medal in 2023, Hunter Surf Life Saving president Henry Scruton recalled rescuing a woman from King Street Hotel during the Pasha Bulker storm of 2007 after the ambulance she was in became trapped in floodwater nearby.
Other photos from throughout the years show the intersection underwater in November 2023, February 2020, January 2016 and February 2008.
Sage Swinton
Sage Swinton is a news reporter who was born and bred in the Hunter. She has been with the Newcastle Herald since June 2020, and covers Newcastle council as well as other general news.
Sage Swinton is a news reporter who was born and bred in the Hunter. She has been with the Newcastle Herald since June 2020, and covers Newcastle council as well as other general news.
