| FLYER ISSUE 4: APRIL 2023 | |
NEXT FMA MEETING: THURSDAY 25 MAY AT NATIONAL CONFERENCE, SYDNEY
A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
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As I write this message this month, the Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting major rain and possible flooding on the east coast of NSW. Perhaps La Nina is still with us for a while. Meanwhile our colleagues in the USA are experiencing record floods up and down the Mississippi River including the states of Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin, which is where the Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM) head office
is located. This year we have USA delegates attending our FMA National Conference from ASFPM, as well as delegates from New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Their presentations are highlighted on the program at floodplainconference.com There will be a lot to talk about, from Australia and overseas, at the Friday morning International Panel Discussion! There are well over 400 registrations for the FMA conference already and with record
abstracts, this Conference program provides an event which is “unprecedented”. Talk Back radio host John Laws has been engaged to especially publicise the opportunity for elected Councillors to consider attending, and there is still time to register. Thank you to all those people who have registered as your presence will mean we will have a very successful event. I wish to also thank all our sponsors who have locked in already which makes the Conference
possible. With only three weeks to go I am really looking forward to seeing you all at Luna Park Venues on Sydney Harbour. ID
Ian Dinham | FMA President
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FMA NATIONAL CONFERENCE - KEYNOTE SESSIONS ANNOUNCED |
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The FMA National Conference in Sydney is just three weeks away, and this year’s program is truly outstanding. Keynote Speakers are: Wednesday: Dr Tom Remenyi, Director, Acclimatised Dr Remenyi is a climate services professional, expert at translating complex climate science into
useful, accessible products, tools or advice. Tom has a decade of experience delivering useful climate services and tools across a range of sectors including natural hazards, emergency services and numerous government departments. Thursday: Rebecca Fox, Secretary, Department of Regional NSW Ms Fox joined Property NSW’s Strategy team in 2015 and became the first female leader of Public Works in early 2019. She was then appointed Deputy
Secretary, Regional NSW within the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment, and in August 2022 she was appointed to the role of Secretary Regional NSW. Conference Dinner: Dr Karl Kruszelnicki AM "Dr Karl", as he is mostly known, discusses science issues on ABC radio stations across Australia, and also on the BBC. He is an outstanding and enthusiastic communicator of complex scientific concepts and he will be sharing some of
his experience to help us get our own complex flood messages to the broader community. Friday: International Panel Mark Forest, Dam, Levee and Civil Works Senior Business Class Leader, HDR (USA) Molly O’Toole, President, Molly O’Toole & Associates Ltd (USA) Sharyn Westlake, Team Leader, Floodplain Management Plan Implementation, Greater Wellington
Regional Council (New Zealand) Dr Richard Crowder, Director, Water and Environment, Jacobs (UK) This year’s Conference program includes 90 presentations, with eight international presenters, and our biggest ever display of the latest technology and equipment. Already well over 400 people have confirmed their attendance, but it’s not too late to register. Go to:
floodplainconference.com |
WARRAGAMBA DAM RAISING AXED |
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The new NSW Government is reported by the Sydney Morning Herald to have axed the plan to raise Warragamba Dam to provide flood relief to the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley. The controversial project was intended to significantly reduce the depth and extent of flooding on the Hawkesbury-Nepean floodplain, reducing property damage by about 75 percent over the
long term, according to the Warragamba Dam Raising EIS. The NSW State Emergency Service report “Hazard and Risk in the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley”, published in June 2020, states that approximately 55,000 people will require evacuation in a flood above the 1% AEP flood. Objections to the proposed raising were mostly based on cultural and ecological concerns, as a portion of the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area surrounds the dam’s reservoir. In October 2022 then NSW Premier, Dominic Perrottet, announced that raising of the Warragamba Dam wall is a critical state significant infrastructure project, however before the recent election current Premier Chris Minns made a commitment that a Labor Government would instead lower the maximum water level, creating a flood mitigation zone without needing to raise the dam wall. |
NEW CEO APPOINTED TO QUEENSLAND RECONSTRUCTION AUTHORITY |
Major General Jake Ellwood has been appointed the Chief Executive Officer of the Queensland Reconstruction Authority. Major General Ellwood was State Recovery Coordinator for the 2022 South East Queensland flooding disaster, one of the biggest disasters to impact Queensland. He was the Opening Keynote Speaker at the 2022 FMA National Conference
at Toowoomba, speaking on his observations of the flood events in South-East Queensland, and preparing for the future. His appointment comes after former QRA CEO Brendan Moon took on the role of Coordinator General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) late last year. The Queensland Reconstruction Authority was established following the unprecedented damage caused by the 2010-11 Queensland floods and Tropical Cyclone Yasi and
was made a permanent part of the Queensland Government in June 2015. |
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS TO THE 2022 VICTORIAN FLOOD INQUIRY |
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FMA has been contacted by Gaelle Broad MP, Member for Northern Victoria, and a member of the Victorian Parliamentary Environment and Planning Committee which is currently overseeing the Inquiry into the 2022 Flood Event in Victoria. The Committee will investigate Victoria's preparedness for, and response to, Victoria’s major flooding event of October
2022. The inquiry will look into the flood event as a whole and the areas affected, and consider factors such as what caused or contributed to the flood event; emergency services; government policy; flood mitigation strategies; the Flemington Racecourse flood wall; and the Victoria planning framework. The floods occurred after Victoria experienced its third La Nina weather system in a row, resulting in the state’s wettest month on record. 63 Local Government Areas across regional Victoria and Melbourne were inundated, including Maribyrnong, where a 2007 decision to approve construction of a flood wall around Flemington Racecourse will be scrutinised. Ms Gaelle Broad said the Committee is seeking insights and experiences to truly understand the impact and the consequences of the floods. Submissions close on 5th June 2023. Further details including the
Terms of Reference are available on the Parliament of Victoria website at: Inquiry into the 2022 Flood Event in Victoria. If there
are issues or comments which you wish FMA to provide to the inquiry please contact Glenn Evans: eo@floods.asn.au |
ICA COMMISSIONS EXTERNAL REVIEW OF 2022 FLOOD RESPONSE |
The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) has appointed consultancy and accounting firm Deloitte to undertake an external review into the insurance industry’s response to the 2022 South-East Queensland and Northern New South Wales floods. The review will look to identify lessons learned from insurers’ response to the floods to better prepare and inform the
industry’s response to future extreme weather events. Insurers’ response timeframes, resources deployed, claims handling, complaints handling, communication with policyholders, and engagement with stakeholders will all be examined as part of the review. Insurance customers lodged more than 240,000 claims totalling $5.81 billion as a result of the floods, making it the costliest extreme weather event in Australian history and, according to a report by
global reinsurer MunichRe, the second costliest insured event in the world in 2022. More than 83 per cent of claims arising from the 2022 flood events are now closed. |
FLOOD RISK MANAGEMENT SHORT COURSE ONLINE |
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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 here. If you
are interested in joining the network of YFMs, we would love to have you. For more information on joining, visit floods.asn.au/yfm |
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UPCOMING MEETINGS AND EVENTS
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FMA New South Wales/ACT Chapter Meeting Dates for 2023
Thursday 25 May - Annual General Meeting at the National Conference, Sydney Thursday 17 August - NSW/ACT Chapter Meeting at Sydney Thursday 16 November - NSW/ACT Chapter Meeting at Sydney. FMA Queensland Chapter Meeting Dates for 2023 Thursday 25 May - Annual General Meeting at
the National Conference, Sydney Wednesday 9 August - Queensland Chapter Meeting at Brisbane Wednesday 8 November - Queensland Chapter Meeting at Brisbane. ASFPM Conference, 7 - 11 May, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA FMA National Conference, 23 - 26 May, Sydney,
NSW Queensland Disaster Management Conference, 30 May - 1 June, Brisbane, QLD
LGNSW Water Management Conference, 26-28 June, Parkes, NSW |
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TRAVELLING CAPS AND BEANIES
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