| FLYER ISSUE 10: OCTOBER 2022 | |
NEXT FMA MEETINGS: QLD CHAPTER 9 NOVEMBER, BRISBANE + NSW/ACT CHAPTER 17 NOVEMBER, SYDNEY
A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
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Flooding is happening everywhere at present. Most states have flooding occurring and the TV channels are showing all the usual coverage of cars and people in floodwaters with SES boats rescuing people. Meanwhile our respective State and Federal Governments are announcing an array of different grants and subsidies which I just can’t keep up with. Victorian businesses, charities and primary producers affected by the flood crisis will be able to tap into a new $877 million relief package jointly funded by the Federal
and Victorian Governments. Businesses and not-for-profit organisations can receive up to $50,000 in grants, while $200,000 grants would be available to medium and large businesses directly impacted by the floods. Sports and recreational clubs are also eligible for $5,000 payments under the new relief package. More than $20 million will go towards businesses helping with logistics and seeking mental health support. And this is only for Victoria while further grants are being announced in other States and Territories. I have never seen such a rush of flood
related grants in my time in floodplain management. I don’t know how the government agency staff can keep track of all these announcements let alone deal with the hundreds of applications in a timely manner. It will be a battle for local Councils to prepare grant applications while also continuing to seek funding for flood damage under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements. This is a time like never before where Councils, consultants and government agencies will need to work cooperatively to deal with this massive workload over the next few
years. With our FMA
Quarterly Meetings and Workshops coming up in November it is a good opportunity to share our ideas and problems to help manage this continuing workload. I look forward to seeing you all on 9 November in Brisbane and 17 November in Sydney.
ID
Ian Dinham | FMA President
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ONSITE IN-PERSON FMA QUARTERLY MEETINGS AND WORKSHOPS ARE BACK! |
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November sees the return of FMA Quarterly Meetings in Brisbane on 9 November and Sydney on 17 November, with highly relevant issues for discussion. Both Meetings commence at 10:30 and will include updates from the FMA Executive, state agencies and the Bureau of Meteorology, in addition we will hear from Natural Hazards Research Australia on their role, activities and partnership opportunities. As the Meetings are catered please advise your proposed
attendance, and any dietary requirements, to Dominique Jovanovic at projectservices@floods.asn.au as soon as possible. BRISBANE FMA QUEENSLAND CHAPTER MEETING AND WORKSHOP Date: Wednesday 9 November, 2022 Place: AECOM Level 8, 540 Wickham
Street, Fortitude Valley, Brisbane Time: 10:00 Morning Tea for 10:30 Meeting. A light lunch will be available at the conclusion of the meeting. Afternoon Workshop - Flood Forecasting We have assembled a number of industry leaders in flood forecasting who will lead a discussion on the technology, approaches and some myth-busting related to flood forecasting systems. Following the extreme weather events of February/March this year which saw riverine and creek flash flooding occurring, the value of forecasting as a tool
in understanding potential flood impacts and supporting informed community messaging has never been greater. As we move into the summer storm season this workshop will provide a timely opportunity for Members to find out more about forecasting and to engage in a formative discussion with industry practitioners. Please Note: AECOM’s policy and firm commitment to workplace hazards require that you do not attend the event on the day if you are feeling ill or subject to any government isolation
order. SYDNEY FMA NSW/ACT CHAPTER MEETING AND WORKSHOP Date: Thursday 17 November,
2022 Place: Mercure Hotel, 818-820 George Street, Sydney Time: 10:00 Morning Tea for 10:30 Meeting. A light lunch will be available at the conclusion of the meeting Afternoon Workshop - The 2022 NSW Flood Inquiry – Round Table Discussion on the Planning Recommendations and What Next Following release of the Independent NSW Flood Inquiry Recommendations an FMA Member Working Group was established to discuss and document what we don’t understand, what we support and concerns we
hold from a flood risk management practitioner point of view. Notes of Working Group will provide a starting point for the Workshop discussion. The aim of the Workshop is to consolidate the views of FMA Members and provide commentary to the NSW Government to consider when finalising their response to the Inquiry and implementing recommendations. |
CONFERENCE CALL FOR ABSTRACTS CLOSE 7 DECEMBER |
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The theme for the May 2023 FMA National Conference has been set. “Preparing for the Unprecedented Flood”, will focus on applying lessons from recent floods and new research to better manage the increasing costs of extreme weather events. The Call for Abstracts are now open, and will close 7 December 2022. We are looking for a range of high-quality presentations from across Australia, and overseas, dealing with
riverine, overland and flash flooding, and coastal inundation. The content can be technical or non-technical to suit our varied audience, so you don’t need to be a “flood expert” to provide a presentation. The subject of the presentation should align with one or more of the following topic areas: - Modelling and flood data
- Flood prediction and warning
- Land use planning
- Infrastructure projects and
asset management
- Flood policy, guidance and best practice
- Emergency preparedness, response and recovery
- Flood case studies and stories
- Environmental aspects, climate change, coastal hazards and adaptation
- New technology and research
- Flood damages and
insurance
- Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Māori perspectives
- Social sciences, human behaviour and communication.
Please start planning your presentation now! The 2023 Floodplain Management Australia National Conference will be held at Luna Park Venues, Sydney, NSW from Wednesday 24 – Friday 26 May 2023, with optional pre-conference workshops on
Tuesday 23 May. Details are at: floodplainconference.com |
FEDERAL BUDGET CONFIRMS PRE-ELECTION FUNDING PROMISE |
The Federal Budget delivered by the Treasurer on 25 October has confirmed the pre-election promise that Labor will spend up to $200 million per year for disaster prevention and resilience. The allocation is consistent with the recommendation of the 2014 Productivity Commission Inquiry into Natural Disaster Funding Arrangements that Commonwealth Government investment in pre-disaster initiatives should be
increased to $200 million per year, to be matched by the States and Territories. FMA has been campaigning in support of this recommendation since 2014. Now that the Commonwealth has confirmed its commitment, we need commitments for matching funding from State and Territory Governments. It is then up to us to ensure that appropriate projects are developed and delivered expeditiously, otherwise, as has happened all to frequently in the past, the unspent annual allocation is returned to
Treasury. Other welcome allocation is likely to be $38.3 million to Disaster Relief Australia for more than 5,000 extra volunteers to help communities when disaster strikes, and $22.6 million over 4 years to help reduce the cost of insurance in disaster prone communities. Details are at: https://budget.gov.au/2022-23-october/content/stronger-economy.htm |
IGEM REPORT SUPPORTED BY QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT |
In March the Queensland Premier announced that the Office of the Inspector-General of Emergency Management will undertake a review of the South East Queensland rainfall and flooding event in February-March 2022. The issues to be
covered by the review include: - The effectiveness of preparedness activities undertaken by relevant local government agencies, and other agencies engaged in response operations in the Local Government Areas activated for Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.
- The timing and effectiveness of Emergency Alerts that were issued to warn the general community of the flooding event
- The effectiveness of
cooperation between all agencies engaged in response operations.
Read more at statements.qld.gov.au/statements/96309. The report of the review was tabled in Parliament on Wednesday 12 October 2022. It found that Wivenhoe Dam was well managed, however there were some isolated examples of delays in Local Disaster Management Groups’ requests for Emergency Alerts. The review made 19 recommendations
which cover a range of areas of focus including: - adding and/or clarifying existing guidance regarding flood risk and the use of the Emergency Alert system by responsible agencies;
- identifying options for strengthening the flood warning network;
- providing additional instructional support, training and exercising for users of the Emergency Alert system;
- use of the Australian Warning System for all
nationally agreed hazards, supported by a community education program;
- increasing subscriptions to Local Government opt-in information services;
- assessing interagency information system operability;
- reviewing deployment protocols and information capture and
- reviewing emergency procedures for referable
dams.
In response to this report a panel of experts will explore flood forecasting approaches at the FMA Workshop on 9 November in Brisbane, following the Quarterly Meeting. More details elsewhere in this Flyer. |
SMART SENSING FOR FLOODING CO-DESIGN WORKSHOP |
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In August the NSW Smart Sensing Network (NSSN) hosted the Smart Sensing for Flooding Co-design Workshop to explore smart sensing opportunities for flood prediction, response, and recovery. The ideas gathered from the wide range of stakeholders will be pursued for realisation into collaborative projects. NSSN is a not-for-profit Innovation Network funded by the NSW Government through the Office of the NSW Chief Scientist and Engineer. It
brings together universities, industry and government to translate research into innovative smart sensing solutions. The 70 participants developed 123 problem statements, covering the areas of: - Gauge network,
- Need for new or better data,
- Data communication issues,
- Data collection issues and
- Telecommunications and power.
The Summary Report is available at the FMA website at floods.asn.au/client_images/2405879.pdf |
NATURE BASED FLOOD MITIGATION STRATEGIES |
Over the years much has been written about nature-based flood mitigation strategies, but a recent Briefing Note from Risk Frontiers raises the question of whether Australia’s integrated urban water management (IUWM) strategies can be enhanced to improve water retention and reduce flooding using such solutions. The paper discusses the concept of Sponge Cities which combine grey (i.e. structural interventions) and
green (natural strategies) into one hybrid system, collecting and storing water. A Chinese example quoted aims to improve the resilience to smaller flooding events, accommodating a 1:30 year event instead of the 1:10 year event that the majority of their current drainage systems are designed to handle. Read more at: https://riskfrontiers.com/insights/nature-based-flood-mitigation-strategies-in-australia |
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Upcoming YFM Event
Come join the Young Floodplain Mangers Queensland group for the post FMA workshop lawn bowls and networking event!
When: Wednesday, 9 November
Time: 3.15pm - 7.00pm Where: New Farm Bowls Club, New Farm
Tickets: Free, available at Eventbrite
Are you a YFM Member yet?
The FMA Young Floodplain Managers (YFM) network exists to represent, engage, and inspire young floodplain management professionals across Australia.
The objectives of the YFM are to: - collaborate and share knowledge through networking opportunities, mentorships with industry leaders, professional development workshops and events, and social media
platforms and forums where YFMs can discuss key issues and share innovative ideas
- inspire and empower YFMs to share new ideas and engage in industry discussions
- connect YFMs from across the public and private sectors as well as other young professional groups; and
- promote gender equality and diversity in all YFM activities and
the broader industry.
Any floodplain manager is welcome to apply if committed to the objectives of the YFM. Whilst the YFM's mission is to represent, engage, support and inspire young floodplain management professionals across the nation, anyone who supports this objective is welcome to apply for membership of the YFM and engage in the group's actions, irrespective of their age or level of experience. You can visit the YFM Linkedin page.
To join the network, visit floods.asn.au/yfm to apply for Membership. |
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The FMA Flyer reaches a wide range of industry professionals from Australia and overseas, and if you have any recent projects or exciting news we would love to share it with our
readers.
Send through details of your stories and we can include them in our upcoming issues by contacting projectservices@floods.asn.au.
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UPCOMING MEETINGS AND EVENTS
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No current vacancies.
If you are interested in promoting a vacant position with us, please contact us.
Please remember that while we circulate
Vacant Positions in this monthly Flyer, sometimes position closing deadlines don't align with the time of its distribution. Make sure you head to floods.asn.au/jobs to check for Vacant Positions
that may not be listed here due to shorter closing dates.
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TRAVELLING CAPS AND BEANIES
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