With a record 181 abstracts received, FMA2025 in Melbourne is shaping up to be one of our biggest Conferences yet! Thank you to everyone who provided an abstract, it’s a very busy Christmas-New Year period for our Abstract Review Panel.

The Conference is just 19 weeks away – from 13 to 16 May, and sponsorships and exhibition booths are filling fast. We are delighted to announce the following organisations have already signed up as sponsors and exhibitors:

• Queensland Reconstruction Authority
• Water Technology
• Royal Haskoning DHV
• WMAwater
• KBR
• Rhelm
• Allan & Dennis
• Flood Platform by Jacobs
• Hydro Response
• Transport for NSW
• 12D Solutions

The venue is Pullman Melbourne on the Park, on the threshold of Melbourne’s business, dining, sports and cultural precincts, and opposite the Fitzroy Gardens. 

The theme for FMA2025 is: “Flood knows no boundaries”, highlighting that floods can affect any area, emphasising the importance of collaboration across states, regions, catchments, communities, and sectors to effectively address and manage flood risks. 

Early registrations are now open. For 2025 a special Early Three-day Registration Rate of $990 is available for FMA Full and Corporate Members.

Keep up to date at: floodplainconference.com

The NSW Reconstruction Authority (RA) is prioritising a Disaster Adaptation Plan (DAP) for the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley, the first of its kind in the state. 

RA’s previous work with stakeholders has recognised that land use planning is a challenge as well as an opportunity to mitigate flood risk.

With the support of FMA and the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA), RA wants to hear from flood and planning consultants working on projects in the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley about their experiences with this issue.

Input is welcomed from all practitioners in the field, regardless of membership with FMA or PIA. Your insights will help identify gaps, challenges, and opportunities in addressing flood risk through land use planning.

An online workshop will be held from 2:30-4:00pm on Thursday 27 February 2025.  

RA will give you an update on work to date and discuss challenges and opportunities identified by industry.

You can register to attend using this link.

If you have any questions, please email HNV_DAP@reconstruction.nsw.gov.au.

In the lead up to the FMA 2025 National Conference in Melbourne (13-16 May 2025) Floodplain Management Australia and Stormwater Victoria are pleased to partner a joint technical and networking event on the new Australian Rainfall and Runoff Climate Change Guideline on Tuesday 25 February 2025. 

The event will be an in person 'after work' event in the Melbourne CBD (venue TBC) with start time of 5:00pm. Guest speakers will be Mark Babister and Monique Retallick from WMAwater who will provide an overview of the new ARR Climate Change Guideline and demonstrate the application of the new guideline to understand the impacts on probabilities of flood events due to climate change. After Mark and Monique's presentation there will be a Q&A session with the presenters, followed by networking opportunities.

The new ARR Chapter on Climate Change Considerations was released on 27 August 2024 and is now available as part of the latest ARR Version 4.2 (https://arr.ga.gov.au/arr-guideline). The new Climate Change Considerations chapter can be found in Book 1 Chapter 6. As outlined in the new ARR Guideline, the impact of climate change on design rainfalls is significant.

More details about the event including how to register will be available soon.

Stormwater Victoria (www.stormwatervictoria.com.au)

Stormwater Victoria is the pre-eminent body in Victoria representing organisations and individuals involved in stormwater flow, environmental quality and use. Stormwater Victoria adopts an integrated approach to stormwater management by encouraging interaction between the many disciplines and parties engaged in the industry. The membership represents a field of diverse, knowledgeable and committed professionals: architects and designers, construction specialists, engineers, planners, policy makers, product manufacturers, researchers and educators. 

Stormwater Victoria represents the interests of its members in advocating for improved management of stormwater, promoting and recognising industry best practice, building industry capacity to deliver sustainable urban water management solutions and raising the awareness of stormwater management within the wider community. Stormwater Victoria is a non-profit, incorporated association working directly with Stormwater Australia.

The Australian Government has allocated a further $90 million for the Northern Rivers Resilient Homes Program (RHP) bringing the total program value to $880 million.

The RHP was launched in October 2022 in response to the devastating floods across the NSW Northern Rivers region, with initial funding of $700 million, jointly funded between the Australian and NSW Governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).

The NSW Government confirmed a further $90 million in its June Budget, which has now been matched by the Australian Government, bringing the total to $880 million. The program is being delivered by the NSW Reconstruction Authority. 

The program relocates members of the community from high-risk flood areas by buying back properties that represent the greatest risk to life, as well as improving the resilience of eligible homes against future floods by raising, relocating, rebuilding, or retrofitting.

As of 29 November, 836 offers had been approved under the RHP, and 708 buyback offers had been accepted, with 564 settlements completed. 

Read more here.

The report of the independent review of the Murray-Darling Basin Authority’s response and management of the 2022–23 flooding has been published, along with the proposed joint government responses to the recommendations.

Multiple flood events in the river and its major tributaries occurred between October 2022 and February 2023, as a result of continued heavy rain.

The 2022–23 Flood Review, undertaken by Alluvium, examined the effectiveness of flood operations by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority, specifically flood forecasting, data and communications during the widespread flooding in the River Murray.

The report contains 14 recommendations including: 

• R1: The Bureau (of Meteorology) and the MDBA expand their guidelines to include an appropriately flexible collaborative process to support flow forecasting in future events, including collaboration with other agencies were appropriate.
• R3: Consideration should also be given to undertaking regular simulated flood operations exercises involving other appropriate agencies to build and maintain communication and collaborative relationships.
• R8: The MDBA should give consideration to ongoing and transparent information sharing on the strategies for flood operations and airspace, combined with an elevated level of information in the lead up to (and following) potential flooding periods.

The report and government response are available at: https://www.mdba.gov.au/publications-and-data/publications/river-murray-2022-23-flood-review-report

Ten of Australia's best songwriters have come together to release new music CD acknowledging first responders and the families who stand behind them.

“The album title, We See You, is to acknowledge all the people who do extraordinary jobs every day and the families who stand behind them. Music can uplift, inspire, and heal. I know this album will do all of these things”. Paul Field AM, Fortem Australia Ambassador said.

“The songwriters on the album have all focused on an area that means something special to them – to put a face to the first responders who risk their own lives, to protect the lives of others. A percentage of the CD sales of We See You will help fund the important work Fortem Australia does to support first responders.”

Fortem is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to supporting the well-being of first responders.

Contributors include Paul Field, Kevin Bennett, Dog Trumpet, The Wiggles, Luca Brasi, Little Quirks, John Schumann, Felicity Urquhart, Josh Cunningham, Elly-May Barnes, Shane Nicholson, the Field Brothers and ABC Music.

For more information and to see the video of the stirring title song visit: https://fortemaustralia.org.au/we-see-you/

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.