FMA Flyer 2 February

Published: Wed, 02/28/18

FLYER ISSUE 2: FEBRUARY

READ IN BROWSER https://floods.optin.com/newsletter/awlist3776483/MzcwMDQ2Mg==/fma-flyer-2-february.htm

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

When You’re Up to Your Waist in Crocodiles!

This month has shown again the variable and dangerous aspects of flooding with the Northern Territory and Canberra experiencing major floods.

What’s more, floodwaters in the Northern Territory’s Daly River have seen the arrival of a crocodile at one of the town’s local footy grounds.

We know that snakes and spiders seek refuge in times of flood but it becomes an interesting “Risk Assessment” procedure when you add crocodiles into the situation.

Two dozen helicopters were used to evacuate more than 300 residents from the flood-affected Daly River community in the Northern Territory, while Darwin River Dam started to spill, prompting warnings to nearby residents.

Also, our national capital was hit with what some have said was a 1 in 100 year storm this month.

The deluge brought parts of Canberra to a standstill and left some residents counting the cost as their homes and some cars were flooded.

Sixty millimetres of rain were recorded in the space of an hour at Sullivan's Creek, just off Lake Burley Griffin, according to the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM).

The ACT Government is an important Member of FMA and we look forward to hearing more about this latest storm and flooding when we get together at the National Conference in May.

This month has shown that no matter which state or territory you live in, floods are always just a matter of time.

Ian Dinham | President

FMA EXCELLENCE AWARDS NOW OPEN

The 2018 FMA Excellence Awards are NOW OPEN for nominations.

The nation-wide Awards publicly recognise the outstanding contribution of FMA organisations and individuals towards promoting wise land use planning, reducing flood impacts, managing flood incidents or restoring communities after a flood event.

The Excellence Awards are split into two categories:

FMA-NRMA Insurance Flood Risk Management Project of the Year Award ( Full, Associate, Corporate, Professional, Individual or Student FMA Member).

WHAT IS THE PRIZE?

Winner - $10,000 cash prize to be used for a purpose related to FRM or flood risk education + Crystal Trophy + Luxury Hamper

Highly Commended - Two FMA National Conference and Workshop Registrations for 2019 + Crystal Trophy + Luxury Hamper

FMA-Allan Ezzy Flood Risk Manager of the Year Award (any FMA Member, or individual who is an employee or representative of an FMA Member)

WHAT IS THE PRIZE?

A Full Three Day Registration to the 2019 FMA Conference and Pre-Conference Workshops to be held at Canberra, ACT.

Nominations close Friday 6 April 2018

For more information visit floods.org.au/site/ea.

FMA CONFERENCE EARLY REGISTRATION CLOSING SOON

The FMA National Conference at Gold Coast is only 12 weeks away.

Have you registered yet?

If you register by 23 March, you can receive a discount of up to $200 (based on a Full/Corporate or Associate Three Day Registration).

The National Conference will gather over 400 flood risk professionals from around the country and overseas to discuss Australian and international achievements in FRM.

The event will include outstanding Australian and international keynote speakers, plenary and concurrent presentations, a Local Government Councillors’ session, field trips addressing floodplain issues in Gold Coast and the surrounding area, as well as networking events.

Also offered are two topical Pre-Conference Workshops, two Geomorphology and Paleoflood Hydrology courses, and HEC-RAS and Radar Rainfall seminars.

For more information on registration and the Conference Program, visit floodplainconference.com.

There are also still some opportunities remaining for Exhibitors and Sponsorship of the FMA Conference.

If you are interested in increasing your exposure to professionals in the flood risk management and emergency services sectors, please visit the Conference website or contact Amy McIntosh at East Coast Conferences.

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

This month we would like to welcome a new Full Category 1 Member and a new Professional Member to Floodplain Management Australia's growing Membership base.

Armidale Regional Council

Armidale Regional Council is located in the New England and Northern Tablelands regions of New South Wales.

The region includes the storage area of Dumaresq Dam and Dumaresq Creek, which passes through the centre of the City of Armidale.

Council’s role includes responsibility for flood mitigation, road closures and flood damage repairs.

For more on the region, visit Council's website.

This month has also seen our FMA Professional Membership grow once again.

Welcome to our new Professional Member.

For privacy reasons, FMA does not disclose the names of our Professional, Individual and Student Members.

FMA has over 140 Members nation-wide including Local Government Councils, CMAs, Government agencies, businesses and professionals involved in all aspects of flood risk management.

If you are interested in joining our Membership, please visit floods.org.au/site/membership for full details such as category classifications, application forms and fee information.

FMA QUEENSLAND CHAPTER MEETING ROUNDUP

Pictured: Mike Lollback (Local Government Association of Queensland) presenting to Meeting attendees in Brisbane.

FMA’s Queensland Chapter Meeting and Workshop in Brisbane on 14 February was attended by around 50 representatives from councils, agencies and industry.

Queensland Director Dwayne Honor discussed suggestions for FMA’s future development, and a Queensland Working Group will be formed to prepare an action plan focussing on key deliverables.

As a result of the strong support from Members an August FMA Meeting will now be scheduled, and opportunities for regional meetings will be investigated.

FMA President Ian Dinham congratulated Mike Lollback on his appointment as Manager Advisory Services for the Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ).

Mr Lollback’s role includes assisting Councils in the area of natural disaster planning and response.

He said FMA has a vast range of expertise in flood risk management from which many Councils could benefit, and he offered to assist FMA in connecting with Local Government particularly in the north and west of the state.

The afternoon Workshop was a double billing, first hearing Brisbane City Council’s Brany Iezzi and Ouswatta Perera explain the innovative and cost effective Brisbane Citywide Creek and Overland Flow Model Study, followed by AECOM’s Paul Jones and Ben McMaster, and Hydrology and Risk Consulting’s Dr Phillip Jordan discussing the Bruce Highway Link Flood Study.

For those unable to attend the presentations will be available shortly at the FMA Website, Members’ Section.

FMA NSW/ACT CHAPTER MEETING ROUNDUP

Pictured (from left): Andrew Dyer (NRMA Insurance) and Ian Dinham (FMA) at the Sydney Meeting.

A very full meeting of FMA’s NSW/ACT Chapter in Sydney on 22 February received an update on activities of the Department of Planning and Environment from Executive Director Strategic Planning and Programs, Brett Whitworth. In welcoming him to the meeting, past Land Use Planning Director Allan Gear advised that Mr Whitworth was the highest ranking Planning Department official to have attended an FMA Quarterly Meeting.

Mr Whitworth outlined the Department’s role in floodplain management, particularly engagement with the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley Flood Management Strategy. The Department will make a couple of announcements soon, including the appointment of staff to provide advice on flood risk management.

Presentations were also received from NSW SES, the OEH, the Bureau of Meteorology and the NSW Flood Warning Consultative Committee. ACT State Emergency Service Senior Manager Operations and Governance, Tracey Allen, when speaking on preparations for the 2019 FMA Conference in Canberra, commented that flash flooding is high risk in the ACT. During the following weekend more than a month's worth of rain brought extensive flash flooding to the city!

The afternoon’s Workshop led by Duncan McLuckie, Principal Flood Specialist from the OEH, discussed the current review of the NSW Floodplain Development Manual, flood policy and tools and guidance available to Councils.

Attendees were asked to assist the review by providing comments on current arrangements, and suggestions for improvements.

GOOD NEWS FOR
THE TWEED
POST-FLOOD

Pictured (from left): Mayor Katie Milne, third from left GM Troy Green, fourth from left Thomas George MP and local business owners.

A positive outcome from ex Tropical Cyclone Debbie flooding is that the NSW Government will provide $3 million to allow a number of South Murwillumbah businesses to move their operations to flood-free land.

The announcement was made by Member for Lismore, Thomas George MP, on behalf of the Deputy Premier, Minister for Regional NSW and Minister for Small Business, John Barilaro MP. It is understood that the funding will be provided through the Department of Premier and Cabinet.

Council will prepare a 16 hectare plot for development and apply for further State government grants to for roads, water and sewer.

Businesses would have up to 10 years to relocate, and their former flood-prone land would be back zoned, most likely for community or agricultural uses in order to remove impediments from the floodplain.

Mayor of Tweed, Councillor Katie Milne, welcomed the funding and the land swap arrangement.

"We want to keep businesses within the shire, employing people and manufacturing. This has allowed those businesses to have the confidence to reinvest, to grow and to employ more people.

FMA President Ian Dinham congratulated Tweed Shire Council and the NSW Government for the initiative.

“I can only think of Grafton, USA and Grantham in Queensland where anything similar has been done”.

Read more at: tweed.nsw.gov.au/Newsroom

ALSO... PRE-CONFERENCE COURSES ANNOUNCED

Building on the support for the Training Course provided at the Newcastle Conference, two streams are being offered this year, on Monday 28 May.

Associate Professor Jacky Croke from the Centre for Catchment and Flood Management will deliver two half day courses on Catchment Geomorphology and Palaeoflood Hydrology.

The morning course Reading the Landscape for Effective Solutions to Flood Design, Planning and Emergency Services will enable participants to apply key components of geomorphology that will transform understanding of floodplains.

The afternoon course Reducing Uncertainty in Flood Predictions Using Old Flood Deposits explains how to incorporate palaeofloods into future predictions of flood frequency and magnitude.

Download the course flyer at floods.org.au/client_images/2036465.pdf

Registration will be available at the Conference Website: floodplainconference.com

Also two seminars of two hour duration are being developed by Mark Forest from HDR to provide an Update on HEC-RAS Version 5.0.4, and High Resolution, Gauge-adjusted Radar Rainfall: The Next Level of Modeling Storm Runoff. Details will be available shortly.

UPCOMING MEETINGS AND EVENTS

FMA National Conference, 29 May - 1 June 2018, Gold Coast

InterFLOOD Asia, 11-12 April 2018, Singapore

DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT STUDENT SEEKING EMPLOYMENT

FMA has received a request for work experience from a candidate working towards a PhD in Disaster Risk Management at University of Newcastle. He has a Masters in Risk and Emergency Management from University of Pavia, Italy, and about 10 years of experience with a variety of Disaster / Flood Risk Management projects in India.

He is seeking experience, preferably part-time paid employment, anywhere in Australia, and is offering to help in developing flood management plans, reviewing plans, research, training, mapping and documentation.

If your organisation is interested please contact Executive Officer Glenn Evans: eo@floods.org.au