A LEVEE bank protecting South Albury from floods is set to be raised by 300 millimetres with the council responding to growth at Thurgoona and climate change.
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The project is contained in a draft flood plan commissioned by Albury Council.
A 3.2-kilometre stretch of the levee paralleling the Murray River is to be raised.
The last major flood was in 1993 with 200 homes hit.
Council floodplains management committee chairman Kevin Mack said the 400-millimetre gap between the river and the levee would be raised to 700 millimetres.
"We're adding another 300 millimetres to that so we can say to the people in South Albury we've got you covered," Cr Mack said.
He said it was designed to be above the level experienced in a 1/100 year flood.
He said progress at Thurgoona would up stormwater reaching the Murray River.
"The more concrete, the more houses we put out there the higher the levels of stormwater coming out of there, so we need to value add to the levee to make sure it doesn't overflow," Cr Mack said.
"It's something we don't need to do, but it's something we insist on doing because we sit on Australia's longest river and we need to make allowances for climate change."
An initial cost of $2 million has been set for earthworks, with Cr Mack unable to nominate the entire bill.
"It will be done in the next two to three years," Cr Mack said.
"It's not in the budget but it's something we need to get funding for and we're looking to the federal and state governments for funding for the levee."
The flood plan, which is available through the council's website, is up for public comment for the next month before it is adopted.
