There is now $22 million allocated to the project - $11 million still left to Katherine from the sale of the TIO and a matching $11 million from the Federal Government which came during this year's election campaign.

The levees will again be both earthen and concrete up to three metres in height, much higher than those proposed last year.

There was a lot of controversy last year over the planned location of the levee banks which basically cut through the centre of the town.

Former town leaders believe the banks are in the wrong spot and basically "give up" the town to flooding.

Most say there is little which can be done in case of a devastating flood like 1998, but reducing the impact of smaller 2016-style floods is seen as important.

According to the latest designs, one bank, called the Northern Section, will run from Gorge Road to the Stuart Highway, following Lockheed Road

The northern levee would be constructed of earth, except between "about" Second Street and Stuart Highway, where it would be a concrete wall type.

The second levee, the Southern Section, would follow the Victoria Highway from the Katherine Country Club to a point about 300m north of Zimin Drive.

It would be a wall type levee from the golf club to the showgrounds in Murray Street, and earth for the remainder.

The latest investigation will look at the removal of the old railway embankment and culvert downstream of Lockheed drain at the Stuart Highway.

Bicentennial road culverts may be upgraded to include backflow prevention devices.

"Road crossings for both the north and south levees should be temporary or removable type levees, apart from the Stuart Highway crossing at the southern end of the north levee, where the Stuart Highway should be raised to form an embankment type levee," tender documents state.

The investigation will include possibly extending the existing Lockheed drain northwest towards Gorge Road, so as to intercept Katherine River floodwaters overtopping Gorge Road at the Katherine Hospital.

Lockheed drain would need to be upgraded "to accommodate the additional intercepted flows".

Lockheed drain between about Third Street and the Stuart Highway in order to accommodate the levee alignment.

Some of the levee banks will include a concrete path on top of a car width wide but primarily to allow a shared bicycle and pedestrian path.

Generalised levee height above existing ground level is (north section) average 600mm, but up to maximum height around 1.6m and (south section) average 2m, but up to a maximum height around 3m.

Money to protect Katherine from future floods has been approved by the Federal Government just days before the election.

Not only will the flood mitigation funds help to ensure Katherine is safe in the event of a flood, but it will help "transform the CBD into a modern and vibrant community and commercial hub".

The $11 million promised during the election campaign also included associated infrastructure for Katherine East such as drainage, sewer pump station, water supply mains, a new power substation and poles.

Two new main arterial roads will be built as part of this project. The first, High Street, will connect the new town centre to existing housing at Casuarina Street; and the second will connect Katherine East to the Stuart Highway

The NT Government has proposed building levee banks from Auster Street to the Stuart Highway and along the east side of the Victoria Highway, but there were concerns from residents the mitigation measures were in the wrong place.

Residents were asked to comment on levee bank plans in July last year.

The levees are expected to mitigate flood damage from smaller more frequent floods.

The decision follows the Katherine Flood Mitigation Advisory Committee's 2015 recommendations to minimise flood impacts in Katherine.

In 2014, $25 million was allocated to Katherine, following the sale of a TIO, to safeguard the town from future floods with about $14m of that already spent.

There is now information on how much this latest investigation will cost.

While you're with us, you can now receive updates straight to your inbox each Friday at 6am from the Katherine Times. To make sure you're up to date with all the news, sign up here.