| FLYER ISSUE 11:
NOVEMBER 2019
| READ IN BROWSER https://archive.aweber.com/newsletter/awlist3776483/MzcwMTQwMA==/fma-flyer-11-november.htm
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A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
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It’s been a fantastic month for FMA with our first meeting held in Townsville in addition to our Quarterly Meetings in Brisbane and Sydney. Thank you sincerely to Wes Bailey and our Queensland Director, Will Prentice, for organising the program at Townsville. It was great to see the new Local Disaster Coordination Centre and learn more about the massive floods earlier this year in Townsville and further
west.
Thank you also to all our presenters and agencies whom always make our free workshops interesting every time.
Meanwhile, preparations for the next FMA National Conference are well underway and I wish to thank everyone who has lodged an abstract for the Conference program. Once again we are approaching record numbers and the event will present a fantastic array of presentations interspersed with our super friendly networking and social functions.
In addition to the local, interstate and international presentations, this Conference will feature presentations from our newly formed “Young Floodplain Managers” network and we are all very excited about that. I hear the YFM’s are already organising their own social night out after our usual Tuesday night “Welcome Session”….. (Panadol will be available Wednesday morning.)
Sponsorships and trade booths are already being sold so everything is shaping up to be another fantastic event at Toowoomba, the “Garden City” of Queensland.
I would like to encourage everyone to register now before your bosses spend your agency’s entire financial year Conference budget!
If you ARE a boss, then register and bring a colleague!
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Ian Dinham | FMA President
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2020 CONFERENCE UPDATE: REGISTRATIONS NOW OPEN!
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Registrations for the 2020 FMA National Conference in Toowoomba are now open!
The Conference A Flood Resilient Australia: transforming vision to action will take place from 20-22 May, with Pre-Conference Workshops on offer on 19 May.
The four-day event will be held at the Empire Theatre, Toowoomba and will provide delegates with opportunities to experience:
- Motivating talks from exceptional keynote speakers
- Networking with over 350 leaders, specialists and industry peers in floodplain risk management
- Learning new skills and strategies from in-depth sessions and workshops
- New innovative technologies and state-of-the art products.
The FMA Conference is the most exciting, well-received flood risk event of the year, and if you register by 20 March, you can get a significant with the Early Bird Discount.
FMA Members are also eligible for discounted registration rates.
For more information on how much you can save, visit the Conference website's Registration page.
If you are unsure of your FMA Membership number when registering for the FMA Conference Member discount, please contact us and we can help you out.
For more information on the Conference, please visit the Conference website.
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FMA BRISBANE MEETING ROUNDUP
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FMA met on the 13th November at the AECOM building in Brisbane to convene it’s November Queensland Chapter Meeting.
While the recent bushfire events unfortunately meant some people couldn’t attend, the meeting was still a great success.
For those of you unable to attend, we missed you!
The day provided an overview with recent activity in the Northern State including presentations from the Executive Committee and the Queensland Reconstruction Authority.
Members were also reminded to get a start on their 2020 FMA Excellence Awards entry ideas… have you got something in mind for your submission?
The afternoon workshop Planning for Flood Risk Management was an interactive discussion forum led by Carrie Dearnley (BMT), Shannon Haines (Ethos Urban) and William Prentice (FMA Queensland Director).
The Workshop addressed a need identified in the FMA Queensland Chapter Action Plan – “Undertake joint workshops/forums with planning partners on how to convert flood study/flood risk management study products to risk based land use planning products”.
Make sure you don’t miss our Meetings and Workshops in the new year. Save these dates now:
Wednesday, 12 February – Queensland Chapter Meeting and Workshop, Brisbane
Thursday, 20 February – NSW/ACT Chapter Meeting and Workshop, Sydney
Thursday 21 May – May Quarterly Meeting and Annual General Meeting, Toowoomba (at Conference).
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REGIONAL MEETING IN TOWNSVILLE A SUCCESS
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FMA held it’s second ever regional meeting in Townsville on the 14th November with a full room, some familiar faces and some new to FMA.
The meeting was held at the Townsville Local Disaster Coordination Centre, which provided an excellent venue for the day’s discussions. The meeting was a great opportunity to introduce the FMA Executive Committee and outline what FMA does to those who cannot normally travel to Brisbane or Sydney.
Before the FMA Meeting proper convened, the Queensland Reconstruction Authority (QRA) hosted a Flood Warning Infrastructure Workshop for Townsville and surrounds.
Throughout the day, we also heard from the QRA on their recent funding activity and developments, the Bureau of Meteorology provided an inside look at the projected weather for the next few months, and Townsville City Council representatives gave a number of enlightening presentations on their response during the recent flooding event.
The highlight of the day was the tour of the Disaster Coordination Centre, led by Wayne Preedy (Team Manager Emergency Management, Townsville City Council). Wayne explained to those present the deliberate intention and forethought that went into the design of the building, including providing breakout rooms that provided quiet places for uninterrupted strategic planning, desk placement that encouraged
agency cooperation and simple technological conveniences that increased productivity and efficiency greatly.
The Disaster Response during the February 2019 monsoon floods led by Townsville City Council was exemplary, and delegates were able to take much knowledge and innovation from the day.
New FMA Member Campbell Scientific, whose Australian operations are based at Townsville, was introduced by Rex Keene.
Accompanying Rex were US head office representatives eager to learn about flood monitoring and warning issues in Australia.
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NSW/ACT CHAPTER MEETING IN SYDNEY
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Pictured: Ian Dinham (FMA President) and Kara Agllias (Royal HaskoningDHV) in Sydney.
The well attended Sydney FMA Meeting at the Bureau of Meteorology heard Communications Director Sue Ribbons extol the virtues of fabulous new Teaching Resources that are now available online for Secondary and Primary school students as part of the Water in the World curriculum (at this link
on the SES website.)
Click Secondary, then Water in the World, to check out the sobering presentation Why Hawkesbury-Nepean Floods are So Dangerous. Then click Geographical Skills to see the cute video on what the Bureau does - Who tracks rain water and weather.
The afternoon Workshop heard Parissa Ghanem, Rudy VanDrie and Robert Baker discuss how they met the challenges of the consolidation of LEPs and DCPs for the two former Wyong and Gosford Councils to deliver 14 Flood Studies and FRM Plans.
To round out the day Kara Agllias, from Royal HaskoningDHV, provided an encore edition of her Highly Commended 2019 FMA Conference presentation, Mainstream Technology Trends. Kara’s engaging presentation explored developments in transportation, energy, emergency communications and social dynamics during flood emergencies, and future opportunities and challenges.
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As this is the last FMA Flyer that you’ll receive before you may go on a well-earned end of year break, FMA would like to wish you Happy Holidays and a wonderful new year.
Thank you for your support throughout the year, for the time you spent with us, volunteering your hours and sharing your knowledge.
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Catching up at these events and hearing what great work you’ve been doing, and where your projects are up to is what we love most.
It is the people that make FMA so great, and without you, Floodplain Management Australia would not be possible.
We very much look forward to 2020, with our most exciting Conference yet in Toowoomba in May, the return of the FRM Short Course, and continuing our FMA Meetings throughout the year.
So, over your holiday break, take care, stay safe (and get working on your entries for the 2020 FMA Excellence Awards!)
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YOUNG FLOODPLAIN MANAGERS MONTHLY FEATURE
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Each month in the FMA Flyer, we will be spotlighting a feature from the Young Floodplain Managers (YFM) network within FMA.
Young Floodplain Managers (YFM) recently partnered with Catchment Simulation Solutions, GRC Hydro, GLN Planning, and WMAwater to hold the first annual YFM End of Year Networking event.
Over 55 floodplain management professionals came together at The Wanderer in Sydney to play games, catch up with friends, and meet new people. Attendees ranged from university students to company directors and worked in many different disciplines including coastal management, soil contamination, planning, engineering, and environmental science.
After a brief welcome from the committee and entertaining addresses from the event sponsors, the scavenger hunt was pursued with great enthusiasm and won in record time by Andrew Little from the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment, closely followed by four other winners.
The cosy venue created a warm atmosphere with small constantly evolving groups and conversations. Squeezing past someone to get to the bar often turned into a lengthy conversation or an excuse to talk to someone new.
The drinks flowed and the food disappeared, with the pumpkin sliders seeming to be the crowd favourite.
The YFM committee would like to thank the sponsors that made this event possible, FMA for its support, and everyone who came along and made it such an amazing night.
Watch this space for the next YFM event in February 2020.
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UPCOMING MEETINGS AND EVENTS |
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NSW Office of Emergency Management
If you are interested in promoting a vacant position with us, please contact us.
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TRAVELLING CAPS AND BEANIES
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Pictured: Very cool junior FMA Members (thanks Louise Collier, RHELM).
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