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| FLYER ISSUE 8: AUGUST 2025 | |
NEXT FMA MEETING:QLD CHAPTER - WEDNESDAY 5 NOVEMBER IN BRISBANE NSW/ACT CHAPTER - THURSDAY 13 NOVEMBER IN SYDNEY
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Welcome to the August edition of the Floodplain Management Australia (FMA) Monthly Flyer. It’s been a busy month at FMA. Earlier in August we held our two Quarterly Meetings and Technical Workshops. These were a great opportunity to network with flood colleagues from councils, government agencies, consultants, insurers and product providers. I hope you were able to attend, hopefully in person, or live online. Remember the meetings are free to attend and everyone with an interest in flood risk management is welcome to attend. You don’t have to be an FMA member to attend … but we certainly hope you will consider becoming a member after you attend one of our meetings!. Keep an eye out for details of our next Quarterly Meetings in November at the FMA website (www.floods.asn.au).
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Pictured: Martin Roushani-Zarmehri discussing Life Cycle Flood Modelling in Brisbane. First up in August was the
Queensland Quarterly Meeting on Wednesday 6 August in Brisbane where around 40 people attended in person and 10–20 attended online. Our Technical Workshop and Panel Discussion was entitled ‘What happens when the worlds of planners and engineers collide? A Queensland perspective…’. A big thank you to our presenters: - Martin Roushani-Zarmehri — who spoke about a
Conceptual Framework on how the process/lifecycle of flood modelling/management works in land use planning in Queensland
- Maree Domelow and Shannon Haines — who led us through Natural Hazard (flooding) Planning from a Local Council perspective
- Martin Giles/Allistair Daly – who provided insight into their experiences from the Environment and Planning court.
Thanks also to FMA Queensland Director, Jess Carey and FMA Technical Director, Will Prentice for organising and facilitating this great Workshop. Pictured: FMA Deputy President Danny Rose discussing Access for Flood Mitigation Assets in Sydney. The following week the NSW/ACT Quarterly Meeting as held on Thursday 14 August in Sydney where around 40 people attended in person and another 40 attended online. Our Technical Workshop and Panel Discussions were divided into 3 parts: - Part 1: Access for Maintenance to Creeks, Stormwater Assets and Flood Mitigation Assets on Private Land — Legal Issues and Practicalities — presented by FMA Deputy President, Danny Rose
- Part 2: Analysing the Broader Risks of Publicising Flood Information — A
Council Case Study — presented by Naomi Harris (FMA-IAG Young Floodplain Manager of the Year)
- Part 3: Update on Draft FMA Fact Sheet on Overland Flow — presented by FMA Technical Director, Will Prentice and FMA Communication Director, Cath Walker.
Another big thank you to all our Sydney presenters. Thanks also to Cath Walker and FMA-YFM (Young Floodplain Manager) Committee Member, Tim Weston, for facilitating another great workshop and incorporating live interactive Slido polls into the discussion. Also in August was the first Program Advisory Committee Meeting for the 2026 FMA National Conference in Gold Coast to be held from 21 to 24 April 2026 (www.floodplainconference.com).
The Program Advisory Committee has representatives from all states and territories, as well as New Zealand. It is fantastic to report the great support and involvement already from our host council, City of Gold Coast, in these early stages of planning for the conference. I hope
you enjoy receiving the FMA Monthly Flyer each month. If a colleague has forwarded this Flyer to you, you may not realise that you need to ‘opt-in’ to receive the Flyer direct to your Inbox each month. Signing up for the Flyer is really easy, it’s free and you don’t have to be a FMA member to receive it. The link to sign up for the Flyer can be found on the FMA website under the ‘Resources’ tab: https://www.floods.asn.au/flyer . Did you know that our mailing list for the Flyer is separate from the member correspondence you may receive for FMA Quarterly Meetings? So, if you are already receiving the monthly FMA Flyer direct to your Inbox, can I encourage you to please forward the Flyer to all of your colleagues who may have an interest in flood risk
management, just in case they are not receiving it. This particularly includes early career professionals who may work in your organisation as they are our Young Floodplain Managers (YFMs). The FMA Monthly Flyer also needs your input. We always welcome articles about the great
work you are doing in flood risk management. It only needs to be 200-250 words, and photos are always great too. Sue Ribbons FMA President |
2026 FMA NATIONAL CONFERENCE ABSTRACTS OPENING SOON
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Planning for FMA’s 2026 National Conference is well underway and the theme has been announced: From Risk to Resilience: Advancing Flood Management. In an era of escalating uncertainty, the conference will explore the development and implementation of flood risk management - moving from the reactive repair and recovery cycle towards informed, resilience-driven strategies, policies and mitigation projects. In late September we will be inviting papers that navigate this transition, by integrating strategic planning, proactive management, and innovation. The conference will be hosted by the City of Gold Coast
and held at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre. Please note that the date is a month earlier than our usual, from Wednesday 22 to Friday 24 April, with Pre-conference Workshops on Tuesday 21 April.
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DANIEL SHEEHY RECEIVES TOP FMA CONFERENCE HONOUR
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Pictured (from left): Daniel Sheehy receives the Harold Sternbeck Medla from FMA President Sue Ribbons in Brisbane. A
highlight of the August Queensland Chapter Quarterly Meeting was the awarding of the 2025 Harold Sternbeck Medal to Daniel Sheehy, for his outstanding presentation at the FMA National Conference held in Melbourne. Daniel is a Principal Engineer at WRM Water & Environment Pty
Ltd. Daniel’s presentation Floodways and flooded roads – are we sending mixed messages to drivers? discussed findings of the Toowoomba Flooded Roads Project, which analysed 50 sites, of which 44 were locations of swift water rescues. FMA Members can access the conference paper and presentation at the FMA website, Members’ section: floods.asn.au/
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FINAL BLOCK COMING UP - FRM SHORT COURSE
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The Flood Risk Management Short Course has one final block on offer in October: Managing Flood Risk to Existing Properties. 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. Managing Flood Risk to Existing Properties 2 Sessions, 3 hours
total Dates: Thursday 2 October and Thursday 9 October 2025 Cost: $550 This course teaches participants how to manage flood risk to existing development – a process of informed decision making in the strategic management of flood risk through an appropriate consideration of: - FRM issues for existing development,
- Role of FRM studies and plans in managing risk to existing development,
- Practical FRM options and associated decision making and implementation issues,
- Determining the appropriate option for particular
situations,
- Considering the environmental impacts of works and other management options
- Typical approvals necessary for mitigation work projects,
- Emergency response
planning for, and response to, floods; and
- Implementation of management plans.
Register at https://open.uts.edu.au/faculty/engineering-and-information-technology/managing-flood-risk-to-existing-properties The Short Course is aimed at engineers, emergency managers and land use planners who are engaged in, or seeking to enter, the floodplain risk management industry in Australia and wanting to learn more about developing and implementing management plans considering best practice. It is also suitable for elected local government officials and community representatives on floodplain risk
management committees seeking a background in floodplain risk management, flood mitigation, emergency management and land use planning issues.
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RISK FRONTIERS RELEASES 2025 FLOOD IMPACT RESEARCH RESULTS
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Natural hazards research organisation Risk Frontiers has released two publications summarising the results of field surveys conducted following the NSW floods in May 2025. The floods resulted in five fatalities, 10,000 homes damaged, and 50,000 people evacuated. Briefing note 518 focuses on the Mid North Coast Manning River catchment, which includes the town of Taree, where the river peaked at 6.5 metres, exceeding the 1929 record by half a metre. At upstream Wingham the river rose over 13 metres in two days. The report covers emergency warnings, community and business preparedness, social impacts and community resilience. Of particular interest is the discussion
of business preparedness, and examples of shops which minimised losses and were able to reopen quickly as a result of using flexible, experience-based planning rather than rigid protocols. Access the report at: https://riskfrontiers.com/insights/flood-impact-community-resilience-research-june-2025/ This briefing note 519 focuses on the Macleay River Catchment which includes the regional centre of Kempsey, and the Hastings River Catchment locations of Port Macquarie and Wauchope. At Kempsey the Macleay River breached the town’s levee, inundating the
CBD and West Kempsey to depths approaching 2 metres, causing businesses to close indefinitely due to flood damage. Access the report at: https://riskfrontiers.com/insights/macleay-hastings-river-flood-impact-community-resilience-june-2025-part-b/ Another report of interest discusses Parametric Insurance for large infrastructure projects, which ties insurance coverage directly to predefined hazard thresholds, such as specific rainfall volumes. See: http://riskfrontiers.com/insights/integrating-parametric-insurance/
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PIA PLANNING FOR FLOOD RISK MANAGEMENT
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The Planning Institute of Australia is holding a one-day online course focusing on strategic risk-based land use planning for flood hazard. The programme is relevant for planners at all stages of their career who wish to become more familiar with best-practice tools to manage flood risk through land use planning. Presenters are Shannon Haines, Natural Hazards Planning Coordinator, City of Moreton Bay, and Jacquie Hannan, Water Resources Programme Manager (APAC) and Senior Principal Engineer, BMT. Information at: https://www.planning.org.au/EventDetail?EventKey=QPL180925
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BUREAU LONG RANGE FORECASTS FOR SPRING
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As we heard from the Bureau of Meteorology’s Dr Giancarlo Bonotto at the recent Queensland FMA Meeting and Hugh McDowell at the NSW/ACT FMA Meeting the long range forecast outlooks are indicating an increasing likelihood of above median rainfall across much of Queensland and NSW during Spring. As many catchments are already wet there is, unfortunately, an increased risk of riverine flooding for Queensland, NSW and northern Victoria. You can view the Bureau's regular Climate Outlooks at http://bom.gov.au/climate/outlooks/#/overview/video
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YFM MONTHLY FEATURE
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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.
Visit floods.asn.au/yfm for more information about joining YFM.
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UPCOMING MEETINGS AND EVENTS
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FMA Meeting Dates for 2025
FMA Queensland Chapter Meeting, Wednesday 5 November - Brisbane
FMA NSW/ACT Chapter Meeting, Thursday 13 November - Sydney
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TRAVELLING CONFERENCE SWAG
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Have you got a photo of your FMA Swag?
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