NEXT FMA MEETING: COMBINED QLD + NSW/ACT CHAPTER MEETING, 25 AUGUST, ONLINE
PLEASE NOTE THE CHANGE FROM FLOODS.ORG.AU TO FLOODS.ASN.AU.
EMAILS SHOULD ALSO BE REVISED AS TO
NOW END IN .ASN.AU.
A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
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I note that the current NSW Flood Inquiry seems to be focussing on blaming the response mechanisms to
recent flooding in NSW rather than looking for preventative measures and mitigation.
It looks like the same old story of 97% of flood related expenditure being focussed on rescue and clean up with only 3% spent on mitigation and prevention.
According to the terms of reference, the Inquiry will report on:
- the causes of and factors contributing to the frequency, intensity, timing and location of floods;
- preparation and planning by agencies and the community for floods in NSW;
- responses to floods, particularly measures to protect life, property and the environment;
- the transition from incident response to recovery;
- recovery, including housing, clean-up, financial support, community engagement and longer-term community
rebuilding.
The Inquiry will consider and, if thought fit, make recommendations on a range of matters,
including:
- the safety of emergency services and community first responders;
- current and future land use planning and management and building standards in flood prone locations across NSW;
- appropriate action to adapt to future flood risks to communities and ecosystems;
- coordination and collaboration between all levels of government.
I’m not sure who will decide “if thought fit” but recommendations on land use planning and management may
only get a guernsey “if thought fit”.
Meanwhile the inquiry has so far focussed on criticism of Maritime Services for not rescuing people from roof tops when they have no training or legal indemnity when doing so, which would also risk breach of OH&S
legislation.
Also, there seems to be criticism of the NSW SES for not having the resources to cope with such large events when we know that volunteers work around the clock to the point of
exhaustion.
Instead of looking for scapegoats during this inquiry, there needs to be a strong focus on how we can invest in mitigation such as that proposed by the Productivity Commission Report in
2014.
Instead of criticising NSW SES operations, promote the allocation of more volunteers and resources.
I fear that the opportunity for real changes and recommendations will be lost in the “blame game” during this inquiry.
ID
Ian Dinham | FMA President
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EMERGENCY MINISTER ADDRESSES RESILIENCE SUMMIT
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Murray Watt has delivered his first major speech as federal Emergency Management Minister at the From Risk to Resilience Summit in Sydney, announcing a number of natural disaster risk management and response
initiatives.
The Summit was hosted by the National Recovery and Resilience Agency and the Australian Institute for
Disaster Resilience to develop inputs to the next national action plan under the National Disaster Risk Reduction Framework.
Minister Watt said “Disaster risk, as all of you know, is growing faster than we are reducing it. So while
infrastructure like flood levees and evacuation shelters will be critical for us to invest in, we need to address the root causes of disaster risk as well. Issues like poor population and land use planning, underinsurance, poor governance or lack of accountability will be critical.
And what I'm also aware of is that people experiencing poverty and inequality are at greatest risk from
disasters. More often than not, it's not the wealthy people living in the cheap land on the floodplain, it’s the people who can't afford to live on top of the hill. And that's very much in my mind, because they do tend to be impacted first, worst and longest.”
Minister Watt said he is already progressing plans to establish a Disaster Ready Fund which will provide up
to $200 million per year on ongoing basis for disaster prevention, and resilience initiatives. This was recommended by the 2014 Productivity Commission Report on Natural Disaster Funding Arrangements, and has regularly been brought to the attention of policy makers by FMA.
Minister Watt announced that he had signed off on the Northern Rivers Resilience Initiative in northern New
South Wales, a rapid study with the CSIRO to focus on better understanding the climate catchment and hydrological drivers of flooding in the region.
The project will assess different scenarios, and consider the broader influences of land use practice and
infrastructure to identify and prioritise options for flood mitigation projects. It will also provide detailed mapping, analysing and modelling within the region, to inform future planning and investment.
The Minister is also progressing a review into the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements “to ensure that
our recovery is quicker and more streamlined, but also to see how we can build resilience into this multi-billion dollar program.”
You can read the Minister’s speech at: https://minister.homeaffairs.gov.au/MurrayWatt/Pages/Australias-action-to-reduce-systemic-disaster-risk.aspx
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NEW EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, RESILIENCE AND RECOVERY AGENCY
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Emergency Management Australia (EMA) and the National Recovery and Resilience Agency (NRRA) will be merged to create a new single federal agency.
The new organisation, to be called the National Emergency Management,
Resilience and Recovery Agency (NEMRRA), will start operating on 1 September.
Federal Emergency Management Minister Murray Watt said “Combining all
these disaster-related functions into one agency under the Home Affairs Portfolio is a significant step forward and strengthens Australia’s ability to prepare for, manage and recover from an increasing number and severity of disasters."
“I am confident that these structural changes will assist in
delivering the Albanese Government’s commitment to ensure that Australia is better prepared for the natural disasters we know will come,” Senator Watt said.
“Due to the effects of climate change, Australia will face more major
natural disasters in the future, and we have to prepare and adapt now to ensure that as a nation we’re in the best position to deal with that inevitability.”
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HUGE INSURANCE BILL FROM 2022 FLOODS
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The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) has said that the destructive flood that swept through South-East Queensland and Northern NSW in late February and early March has caused $4.8 billion in insured damages and is now
the third costliest extreme weather event in Australia’s history.
Only Cyclone Tracy (1974) and the Sydney hailstorm (1999) caused more insured losses, and this year’s East
Coast Flood is the costliest flood in Australian history.
And in response to the July extreme rain and flooding event that impacted large parts of Sydney, the Hunter
and mid-north coast of NSW the ICA has activated a range of processes and data collection activities to assist with the assessment of the insurance impact of this extreme rain and flood event.
In regard to this latest event insurers have received over 8,400 claims (84 per cent property, 14 per cent
motor and two per cent commercial), with an estimated insurance loss of $97.9 million.
The ICA will be providing an update on flood insurance issues and developments at the upcoming Online FMA
Quarterly Meeting.
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ANDREW GISSING LEADS NATURAL HAZARDS AUSTRALIA
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Andrew Gissing has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of Natural Hazards Research Australia, the
national centre for natural hazard resilience and disaster risk reduction.
The Centre was funded for 10 years by the Australian Government on 1 July 2021 as a collaborative research
organisation, to address the major challenges arising from natural hazards, including bushfires, floods, cyclones, heatwaves, storms and other hazards. The aim is to deliver usable research and knowledge that creates safer and more resilient communities.
The Centre works in the broad emergency management and disaster resilience sector with partners in all
states and territories, federal, state and local governments, key industry bodies, the private and not-for-profit sectors, research and other organisations with a stake in protecting Australian communities.
Andrew is well known to NSW FMA Members and has presented at numerous FMA Workshops and Conferences in his
previous role as General Manager – Resilience at Risk Frontiers. He previously held senior positions at the Victoria State Emergency Service and NSW State Emergency Service.
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FRM SHORT COURSE ENROLMENTS NOW OPEN
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After a one year absence, the Flood Risk Management Short Course is being offered again in 2022. The course is hosted by the University of Technology, Sydney, with input from FMA and the NSW Government.
The links for enrolment in all three blocks of the course are now available at https://open.uts.edu.au/uts-open/study-area/built-environment/
Block 1 Introduction to Flood Risk Management (FRM)
2, 11 and 18 August
Block 2 Effective Consideration of Flood Risk in Land Use Planning
1, 8 and 15 September
Block 3 Managing Flood Risk to Existing Properties
6, 13 and 20 October
The course has been designed to:
- Equip you with good understanding of how FRM is undertaken in NSW and other flood prone states in Australia, and the roles of relevant agencies
- Provide you with a solid understanding of the principles of FRM and the desired outcomes of FRM projects
- Improve your skills to work on FRM projects and be more effectively involved in the FRM process; and
- Enhance your ability to specify and manage FRM projects.
The cost per block is $550 (GST-free)*
*Price subject to change. Please check price at time of purchase.
If you have any queries about the course, please email:
Associate Professor Jaya Kadasamy, UTS School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, at [email protected].
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DISASTER RESPONSE AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS WORKSHOP
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The University of NSW (UNSW) is hosting a Workshop on Public Safety Research, Disaster Response and Emergency Preparedness.
The speakers will present state-of-the-art research on a broad spectrum of disaster
management issues, including:
• Crowd management and safety
• Building evacuation
• Bushfire response and evacuation
• Flood response and evacuation
• Evacuation transport modelling
• The role of community preparedness in disaster response
• Optimisation of emergency services’ response to disasters.
The workshop will be held on 3 August (9:00 am – 5:00 pm), in a
hybrid mode consisting of in-person and online options. The event is free and fully catered.
Keynote Speakers are Professor Brian Wolshon (Louisiana State University), Dr Milan
Haghani (UNSW) and Dr Moe (Mohammad) Mojtahedi (UNSW), who has presented at a number of FMA Meetings in Sydney.
Details are at: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/o/unsw-sydney-17796694888
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FMA Member Steven Molino has provided the following sad news about the passing of NSW flood risk management champion Neil Benning:
It is with a heavy heart that I am writing to advise that former Molino Stewart employee, Neil Benning, passed away at home on 21 July of a suspected heart attack.
Neil had worked in the water resource and flooding sector for almost all of his professional career. For the first few decades he worked for the NSW Government which included being the principal author of the first two editions of the NSW Floodplain Management Manual and the first edition of Floodplain Management in Australia, the first national guideline of its type.
In the late 1990s he moved to the private sector, first working for SMEC then URS before joining Molino Stewart in 2009. Although he retired from full time work in 2017 he continued to provide valuable input to Molino Stewart's dam safety projects as a casual employee through until 2021.
He will be greatly missed by all of his former work colleagues with whom he regularly kept in touch. Neil was 70 years of age.
Neil's funeral is being held at St. Gerard Majella's Church, 543 North Rocks Rd, Carlingford on Wednesday 3 August at 10.30am.
In lieu of flowers the family has set up a charitable donations page in Neil's memory: www.justgiving.com/Neil-Benning. Wildlife Conservation was near and dear to Neil's heart and the family felt this would be a way to further his legacy.
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Due to the current increase in COVID cases and the predicted peak mid-August, we will be holding the next Floodplain Management Australia Meeting online:
Combined Queensland + NSW/ACT Chapter Meeting
Thursday 25 August 2022 from 10am.
We encourage you to attend to get the latest updates from State agencies and Members, including the Bureau of Meteorology, Queensland Reconstruction Authority, Department of Planning and Environment, State Emergency Service and Insurance Council of
Australia.
Business Papers and further details will be circulated closer to the date.
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The NSW YFM are planning a Flood Tour in Sydney later this year, with further details and tickets being announced on the 25th August.
Remember to follow YFM on linkedin, and join our membership list, to be notified about upcoming events!
For more information on the FMA Young Floodplain Managers network, make sure you visit floods.asn.au/yfm.
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The FMA Flyer reaches a wide range of industry professionals from Australia and
overseas, and if you have any recent projects or exciting news we would love to share it with our readers.
Send through details of your stories and we can include them in our upcoming issues by contacting [email protected].
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UPCOMING MEETINGS AND EVENTS
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TRAVELLING CAPS AND BEANIES
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