NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet will commit to a new reconstruction authority and the raising of the Warragamba Dam wall when he releases a long-awaited report into this year's flooding.
Mr Perrottet has chosen Lismore in northern NSW, the epicentre of the devastating floods, to on Wednesday announce his government's response to the report by former chief scientist Mary O'Kane and former police commissioner Mick Fuller.
The premier tasked the pair with investigating recovery and reconstruction efforts after the floods in the Northern Rivers and Hawkesbury-Nepean, which killed 13 across the state.
One of the key recommendations from the independent report is the establishment of a Reconstruction Authority, with the government intent on setting one up by the end of year, Mr Perrottet's office told AAP.
AAP understands the authority will "be the state's lead agency responsible for disaster prevention" with an outlook towards long-term flood mitigation solutions.
The authority will be "responsible for managing and coordinating (the) government's program of housing and infrastructure renewal and recovery within disaster-affected communities".
It will also be "tasked with sourcing and acquitting reconstruction funding from state, Commonwealth and philanthropic sources to ensure it is distributed and spent efficiently, effectively, and equitably to impacted communities".
Resilience NSW, which has come under fire for its bureaucratic pace under the leadership Shane Fitzsimmons, will be reconfigured. Previous reports indicated it could be dismantled and its chief sacked.
Another key proposal backed by Mr Perrottet is the controversial raising of the Warragamba Dam in Sydney's west.
The 28-page case study enclosed in the report says raising the wall will reduce failure to evacuate by 88 per cent by 2041.
It also notes that raising the wall, which has been criticised by experts, will delay key infrastructure flooding by 11 hours, including ensuring access to Windsor bridge, which is a vital evacuation route.
"The dam wall raising is costly and predicted to impact sensitive Aboriginal sites and biodiversity," the report cautioned, adding it is "part of the suite of options ... that together have potential to significantly mitigate flood risk in the (Hawkesbury-Nepean) Valley".
The flood response of the NSW and federal governments has faced widespread criticism, including for taking too long to rescue victims and provide follow-up relief.
© AAP 2022