Pictured: Brisbane afternoon workshop led by Conrad Wasko.

August saw two FMA Quarterly Meetings being held in Brisbane and Sydney, with Executive reports, agency updates and very popular workshops provided to attendees both in-person and online. 

The report of the Senate Select Committee’s inquiry into Australia’s Disaster Resilience was tabled on 8 August. 

The committee was appointed in November 2022 to inquire into Australia’s preparedness, response and recovery workforce models, and alternative models to disaster recovery. The committee was also required to consider the role of the Australian Defence Force, volunteer groups, not-for-profit organisations and state-based services, and the support required to improve Australia’s resilience and response to natural disasters.

The report Boots on the ground: raising Australia’s resilience contains 10 recommendations including:

Recommendation 1

The committee recommends that the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements and relevant guidelines be amended to enable funds to be distributed for the purpose of building betterment into recovery and reconstruction, ensuring that this funding is available to all jurisdictions.

Recommendation 3

The committee recommends that the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements be amended to set aside a proportion of funding to be offered to local governments up-front to help facilitate disaster recovery and resilience to ensure councils do not always have to bear the burden of financing repairs up-front.

The report also makes recommendations concerning deployment of resources and addressing the mental health and well-being of disaster-affected individuals and communities.

Read the report at: 

aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Disaster_Resilience/DisasterResilience/Report

The Insurance Council of Australia’s annual Insurance Catastrophe Resilience Report indicates that the impact of extreme weather on the Australian economy has more than tripled over the last three decades.

Over the last 30 years insurers paid an average of $2.1 billion per year to customers impacted by extreme weather events, but in the last five years the average annual cost of extreme weather claims has more than doubled to $4.5 billion, driven largely by the growing cost of flood (adjusted for CPI).

The report states “Flood is Australia’s most costly natural peril, and it’s estimated that around 1.2 million properties face some level of flood risk. The National Flood Information Database currently estimates that 230,000 of these have a 1 in 20 chance of a flooding each year with a further 420,000 properties facing a 1 in 50 or 1 in 100 annual chance of flooding, odds that translate into high premiums which can lead to a growing protection gap.”

ICA CEO Andrew Hall said “De-risking is the only sustainable way to reduce the pressure on premiums and close the protection gap: improved planning so no more homes are built in harm’s way, stronger buildings that are better able to withstand extreme weather, greater investment in public infrastructure to protect communities, and an ongoing program of home buybacks where no other mitigation is possible.”

The report is available at: insurancecouncil.com.au/resource/new-data-shows-long-term-cost-of-extreme-weather/

The Planning Institute of Australia will be touching on the topic of Floodplain Management as part of the 2024 NSW State Conference, taking place in Wollongong from 18 to 20 September. 

A flood panel session will be held on Friday at 9am showcasing The Future of Flood Planning - Resilient Cities & Regions.

Details are at: https://www.planning.org.au/nsw-conference-home

Registrations close 4th September.

There is still a chance to enroll in the 2024 edition of the long-running FMA-NSW Government Floodplain Risk Management Short Course. Although Introduction to Floodplain Risk Management was completed in August the following subjects are still open for enrolments:

Effective Consideration of Flood Risk in Land Use Planning - 5 September 2024

Managing Flood Risk to Existing Properties - 10 October 2024

This course is conducted by the University of Technology, Sydney and is taught by industry professionals, including flood risk and emergency response management and land use planning experts from NSW Government, local government and consultancies. 

The course uses lectures and interactive tutorials to show how the development and implementation of plans to manage flood risk can reduce the impacts of flooding on the community and the built environment. 

Mode: Online

Cost: $550 per block

For more information on each block and online registration, please visit the above links.

The FMA Young Floodplain Managers (YFM) network exists to represent, engage, and inspire young floodplain management professionals across Australia. 

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. 

Are you interested in finding out more? You can connect with the YFM by visiting the YFM Linkedin page here or submit a YFM Membership application at floods.asn.au/yfm.

Did you know YFM Webinars and Online Panel recordings can be found in the Members' Section of floods.asn.au? If you haven’t registered for the Members’ Section, contact us to get your login details.