The NT government says it’s providing funding for a Katherine South levee that will protect an additional 210 homes and businesses, following devastating flooding earlier this year. 

The $13.3 million allocation from a $100 million Flood Recovery Fund follows spending of $4 million on Katherine North levee upgrades. 

“This will give greater confidence to residents and businesses in Katherine South who will have greater flood protection,” local member and minister responsible for the recovery fund Jo Hersey said. 

The combined north and south levees will provide greater protection for Katherine residents, mitigating impacts up to a 1-in 20-year flood event, the government says. 

The new levee will comprise of 1.6-metre-high earth embankments, a 1.5-metre-high wall levee, and road raisings on Murphy Street, Murray Street, and Bicentennial Road. 

The project will also maximise a $9.1 million federal contribution. 

Widespread flooding inundated the NT last wet season, with Katherine experiencing its worst floods in nearly 30 years. The Insurance Council of Australia declared a significant event in March. 

“The devastating impacts reinforce why investment in mitigation and resilience infrastructure remains so important,” ICA said in welcoming the levee funding. 

“Reducing risk is one of the most effective ways to improve long-term insurance affordability and availability. Projects such as levees, resilient infrastructure and better land-use planning can help reduce damage, strengthen communities and support more sustainable insurance outcomes over time.” 

The ICA’s 2025-26 insurance catastrophe resilience report shows insurers had received 389 claims as of July 30, with incurred losses of $41 million from the NT flooding. 

The average claim size of $104,300 was the highest of any declared event during the reporting period, and more than seven times the average of the concurrent Queensland flooding, reflecting the severity of damage sustained, it says.