| FLYER ISSUE 12: DECEMBER 2022 | |
NEXT FMA MEETINGS: QLD CHAPTER 15 FEBRUARY, BRISBANE + NSW/ACT CHAPTER 23 FEBRUARY, SYDNEY
A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
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As we bid farewell to 2022 and hopefully good riddance to Covid, I am really looking forward to an even better year in 2023. Despite the threat of Covid we managed to share our networking and experiences through our on-line meetings in February and August followed by face to face meetings in Brisbane and Sydney in November. The Toowoomba Conference was extra special as the first face to face conference for 3 years. Now I am very excited about the
forthcoming year, especially our National Conference on Sydney Harbour in May 2023. We have some international friends joining us from the United States and New Zealand with some possible further overseas visitors to be confirmed. I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year with your family and friends over the next few weeks. Most importantly, stay safe so we can all get together again soon. ID
Ian Dinham | FMA President
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FMA NATIONAL CONFERERENCE 23-26 MAY 2023 - SYDNEY |
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The 2023 FMA National Conference is heading towards being our best ever with a record number of abstracts (151!) being received. Thank you to everyone who has provided an abstract, it’s going to be a very busy Christmas period for our Abstract Review Panel. The Conference is just 20 weeks away and organising is in full swing! Sponsorships and exhibition booths are filling fast, thank you to the following
sponsors who have already confirmed: Silver TUFLOW Innovyze/Auto Desk Bronze Royal Haskoning DHV Aquamonix Stantec KBR WMAwater Stationery Allan & Dennis Lanyard HDR The Conference will be held at Sydney’s iconic Luna Park conference centre, right on the water, beneath the Sydney Harbour Bridge. For a preview of what to expect have a look at the venue’s website, particularly the video: lunaparkvenues.com/corporate/ Early registrations are now open. Details at: floodplainconference.com |
NSW RECONSTRUCTION AUTHORITY ESTABLISHED |
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The NSW Reconstruction Authority, a recommendation of the NSW Independent Flood Inquiry, was established in December. The Authority is responsible for facilitating disaster prevention, preparedness, recovery, reconstruction, and adaptation to the effects of natural disasters. The stated aims of the Authority are: - lead disaster resilience, risk reduction,
adaptation and mitigation activities
- provide education and infrastructure before disasters to minimise harm
- ensure the reconstruction process begins swiftly when a disaster strikes
- reduce community devastation.
The Authority’s responsibilities include: - creating and implementing the State Disaster
Mitigation Plan
- giving advice as needed to Councils and government agencies on disaster adaptation
- supporting communities to help recover from a natural disaster
- coordinating development in disaster-affected areas
- acquiring and subdividing land for rebuilding
communities
- rebuilding infrastructure.
FMA supports the proposed alignment between disaster planning and strategic planning that the Authority is intended to enable. The NSW Reconstruction Authority is a statutory corporation reporting to the Minister for Planning, Anthony Roberts, and the Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience and Minister for Flood Recovery, Steph Cooke. Resilience NSW staff will transition into the NSW Reconstruction Authority and other NSW Government
agencies. Mick Cassel, Secretary of the NSW Department of Planning and Environment, has been appointed acting CEO. |
A LITTLE NEW YEAR CHEER FROM BOM - LA NINA CONTINUES BUT MAY BE DECLINING |
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The Bureau of Meteorology has advised that La Niña continues in the tropical Pacific, but some indicators show signs of declining strength. La Niña typically increases the chance of above average rainfall for northern and eastern Australia
during summer. Models suggest that ocean temperatures may reach ENSO-neutral levels during January or February 2023, and remain at neutral levels until at least April. The Southern Annular Mode (SAM) is in a positive phase and is likely to be neutral to positive through January and February. During summer, a positive SAM increases the chance of above average rainfall for parts of eastern Australia and below average rainfall for western Tasmania. Read more at: bom.gov.au/climate/enso |
NZ STUDENT ENGINEERS SEEKING ASSISTANCE |
Our New Zealand colleague Sharyn Westlake has asked us to pass on the following request from student engineers undertaking a holiday project: We are investigating methods for rapid breach analysis and mapping for the Flood Protection Department at the Greater Wellington Regional Council. Greater Wellington requires a method of rapidly mapping flooding due to the breaching or overtopping of stopbanks
(levees) in the Region to determine which houses require evacuation. To do this, we would like to better understand the methods utilised elsewhere in response to this issue. An ideal model or tool would be quick and efficient to use in ‘near real-time’ (under 15 minutes) or be ‘pre-calculated’ and require minimal configuration and setup. We are interested in both ‘near real-time’ and simple ‘pre-calculated methods’. We want to use forecasted river
levels to determine which houses to evacuate when information of a stopbank breach is received, such as evidence of erosion leading to the sudden collapse of a stopbank. We are looking to compare methods utilised by others to avoid developing a method from scratch where this has been done before. We would love to utilise any existing ideas, processes, or tools if such an idea exists. If this project sounds like something you have experience in, we would love to hear from
you. Please contact Sharyn at Greater Wellington Regional Council if you are able to assist: [email protected] |
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End of Year Event
The NSW Young Floodplain Managers held their end of year event of lawn bowls followed by drinks and dinner in Sydney during early December. The evening was incredibly successful and provided an excellent environment to celebrate the hard work and achievements of the past year. The event would not have been possible without the generous support of WMS, who ensured that the evening went smoothly and YFMs had everything they could need to round their year off appropriately. We look forward to hosting many more exciting events in 2023.
Are you a YFM Member yet?
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.
Any floodplain manager is welcome to apply if committed to the objectives of the YFM. 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. You can visit
the YFM Linkedin page.
To join the
network, visit floods.asn.au/yfm to apply for Membership. |
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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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