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NEXT FMA MEETINGS FMA Queensland Chapter Meeting on Wednesday, 17 February 2016 in Brisbane. FMA November Quarterly
Meeting on Thursday, 25 February 2016 in Sydney.
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Lessons from the April 2015 Dungog
Flood |
FMA’s August Workshop in Sydney provided insights to the tragic flood which struck the Hunter Valley town of Dungog in April. The scale of the flood was unprecedented, with a population of just 2,100 people, four houses were washed away, more than 80 houses were inundated and three people lost their lives.
At the Workshop FMA Member Stephen
Yeo recounted his impressions when he visited the town soon after the event, and discussed lessons which should be learned.
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FMA Queensland Chapter Meeting |
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Pictured (from left): FMA Queensland Director Con de Groot, Quentin Underwood, Lockyer Valley Regional Council and Graeme Milligan, Department of Natural Resources and Mines Queensland.
FMA’s Queensland Chapter met in Brisbane on 17 November and in a very packed program received comprehensive updates from a range of Councils, agencies
and consultants involved in flood planning, mitigation and response. Agencies presenting included the Department of Natural Resources and Mines; Department of Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning; Office of the Inspector-General Emergency Management; Department of Energy and Water Supply; and Bureau of Meteorology.
The afternoon Workshop conducted by Graeme Milligan from the Department of Natural Resources and Mines and Jo Tinnion from BMT WBM provided Members
with the first opportunity to comment on the draft Guideline for Flood Studies and Mapping in Queensland. The guide is intended to provide consistency in style and approach for flood studies commissioned using grants administered by the State Government.
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Pictured (from left): Portia Rigby, Moreton Bay Regional Council, Charlotte Spliethoff, International River Foundation and Jo Beadle, Department of Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning.
Discussion on FMA’s
role and future activities led by Queensland Director Con de Groot identified networking opportunities, professional development and advocating for increased investment in floodplain management as highest priority issues. Mr de Groot said FMA is looking forward to further growth in Queensland Membership and, in addition to regular meetings and workshops, is consulting with Councils on their need for a professional development course.
To make sure you are up to date with
the latest in Flood Risk Management please reserve Wednesday 17 February in your diaries, and if you are not yet a Member visit http://floods.org.au/about-us/membership/ to find out how to join.
NSW Labor Flood Roundtable |
55 representatives from Local Government, business and agencies attended FMA’s Quarterly Meeting and Workshops in Sydney on 26 November. Reports included an update on grant funding, activities of the Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) and NSW State Emergency Service (SES), and projects being undertaken by the National Flood Risk Advisory Group.
Rolf Karst from
the office of the Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands reported on the experiences of the four winners of this year’s Australia-Netherlands Water Challenge who have just returned from their three-week intensive traineeship in the Netherlands (see later story in this Flyer).
Flood data and flood insurance were major topics for discussion. James O’Brien and Andrew Gissing provided a most interesting presentation on Corporate Member
Risk Frontiers’ activities in risk modelling of all natural hazards, social research and emergency management planning.
In the first of two workshop topics Karl Sullivan, General Manager Risk at the Insurance Council of Australia, demonstrated the DataGlobe flood data management system used by the insurance industry, and fielded a wide range of questions on flood data, arrangements for obtaining information from and sharing data with Councils, and how flood data
is used by insurers to refine product pricing.
In the second Workshop of the day Elliott Simmons from SES and Duncan McLuckie from OEH discussed development of the Flood Data Access program which will manage strategic flood information on behalf of the NSW Government. To assist in the design of the system, advice was sought from attendees on how they use flood information, the preferred formats and access requirements.
The next NSW Quarterly
Meeting and Workshop will be in Sydney on Thursday 25 February, so please reserve that date. The Meeting is open to all with an interest in flood issues, if you are not yet a Member please come along and find out more about FMA. |
Flood Insurance Working Group Meeting |
FMA’s Flood Insurance Working Group met in Sydney in November. The group includes major insurers, the Insurance Council of Australia, the Australian Local Government Association, government agencies and FMA Members from NSW and Queensland, and was established to examine and improve arrangements for the collection, maintenance and distribution of flood data.
Current projects include preparation of fact sheets on flood resistant building materials and case studies showing how accurate flood information affects insurance premiums, and resolution of issues concerning overland flooding.
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FMA would like to welcome Water Technology to our Membership. Water Technoloy provides a full range of flood investigation and risk assessment services for Government and private clients at regional, township and site specific scales.
With flood
specialists in Melbourne, Brisbane and regional offices having completed investigations in all parts of Australia, they provide an unparalleled depth of experience in this field.
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2016 FMA Conference Update |
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The Call for Abstracts has closed, and with over 100 received, the task for the Review Panel is extremely challenging, but Conference attendees are assured of a very informative and entertaining program covering all aspects of flood risk management.
The Conference will be hosted by Shoalhaven City Council in Nowra. Delegates will find Nowra as a bustling urban hub with an emerging arts subculture and a growing café and niche shopping scene. A short walk from the town centre is the stunning Shoalhaven River, and a walk along the foreshore is guaranteed to leave you feeling restored after a long day's
networking.
You can find out more about Nowra at
Remember, if you register before 25 March 2016, you qualify for the Early Registration rate, so get online and register now!
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Water Challenge Students Return from Holland |
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The four 2015 Australia-Netherlands Water Challenge ambassadors, Tracey Lloyd, Ashlee Clarke, Ray Laine and Tom Perfrement have returned from Holland after their three week traineeship.
During their time in the Netherlands, they were able to learn about the Dutch water sector, and contribute their own ideas from an Australian perspective.
The Water Challenge has put together two
video reports summarising the traineeship program:
A full report with the findings from their projects – “Flood Disaster Resilience Index” and “CoastalEngage” – will be published shortly.
Congratulations from FMA on a wonderful and successful Challenge! We are certain we will see Tracey, Ashlee, Ray and Tom again in the fields of water and flood management in the
future. |
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POSITIONS VACANT
Principal Engineer – Water Assets The City of
Sydney has an exciting opportunity available for an innovative and motivated Principal Engineer to lead Council’s Water Assets Team.
With your demonstrated people and teamwork skills you will effectively lead your team, delivering to set goals and priorities and ensuring that work is completed on time and within budget.
Visit www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/jobs for a position description.
For further information contact Peter Shields, Technical Services Manager on 02 9246 7821.
Applications close on Thursday 3 December 2015.
As a service to our Members we welcome information on career
opportunities in the area of floodplain management.
If you are interested in promoting a vacant position with us,
contact us. GRADUATES SEEKING EMPLOYMENT The FMA is occasionally contacted by young professional in fields related to flood risk management seeking introductions to potential employers.
If your business is seeking a new employee please contact us, we may know of someone suitable.
FMA CAPS AROUND THE WORLD Where has your FMA Conference Cap been? |
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Pictured: Justin Bear of FMA Member Bluemont, spotted wearing his FMA Cap during barrier testing at Bayview, NSW.
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Thanks for reading, and see you next month! P.S. HAVE YOU REGISTERED FOR OUR 2016 CONFERENCE? |
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