More than 350 delegates, including visitors from the Netherlands, Singapore, the US and Vietnam, will attend tomorrow’s National Flood Conference organised by Floodplain Management Australia (FMA).

“Preparing for the next great flood” is the theme of the four-day event in Newcastle.

Organisers chose Newcastle because this year marks the 10th anniversary of the “Pasha Bulker storm” in the region, and 150 years since the great Hawkesbury-Nepean River flood.

“This conference will look at the lessons we have learned from past flood events, and explore how we can implement strategic actions to make our communities more informed, safer and resilient,” FMA President Ian Dinham said.

The conference includes a field trip to the Hunter Valley Flood Mitigation Scheme, a network of levees to protect about 18,000 hectares of agricultural land and buildings.