| FLYER ISSUE 4: APRIL
2021
| READ IN BROWSER https://archive.aweber.com/newsletter/awlist3776483/MzcwMjE0Nw==/fma-flyer-4-april.htm
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NEXT FMA MEETING: 27 MAY 2021 AT FMA ONLINE NATIONAL CONFERENCE
A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
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With the 2021 FMA National Conference almost here, there can be no better illustration of the importance of floodplain management than what we saw during the widespread flooding last month in Australia.
We witnessed major flooding in the Gold Coast and Logan areas in Queensland, the Tweed Valley, the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley, the Hunter Valley, the Mid-North Coast and parts of Western NSW with the loss of one life in NSW and one in Queensland. Both fatalities were the result of men trapped in vehicles.
Deluges then occurred in Victoria and Tasmania as the storm system shifted south, and Western Australia had its share of flooding in the Kimberly region.
Insurance companies have estimated the total flood damage cost will exceed $2 billion and that doesn’t include damage to public infrastructure such as roads and other council assets.
Our FMA press releases at the time generated much media interest and I wish to thank the Australian Newspaper and ABC radio as well as other interstate radio stations for the opportunity to speak about the importance of floodplain management and future planning.
I wish to also commend the fantastic job done by all SES personnel in response to literally thousands of requests for help and many rescues.
Now that the TV cameras have moved on, the respective communities face the long and hard road to recovery and our thoughts are with everyone affected during the many months and years ahead.
The FMA National Conference on 26 to 28 May this year will be a great opportunity to share issues and solutions arising from these events. I look forward to hearing all your input at the Conference sessions and the social events.
Best wishes for now and I’ll “see” you all there.
ID
Ian Dinham | FMA President
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2021 ONLINE NATIONAL CONFERENCE UPDATE
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The Online FMA Conference is just weeks away, and you can now download the Conference Program and Register online at floodplainconference.com.
The program contains excellent presentations from industry professionals on a range of FRM topics, which will be of great interest and value to delegates:
- Flood Policy, Guidance and Best Practice
- Data, Devices and Information Management
- Modelling
- Australian Rainfall and Runoff
- Land Use Planning
- Infrastructure Projects and Asset Management
- Emergency Preparedness and Management, Recovery
- Flood Stories and Case Studies
- Environmental Aspects – Climate Change, Coastal Hazards and Adaptation
- Social and Cultural Aspects
FMA is excited to announce the support of our Sponsors and Virtual Exhibitors for the Conference, as without their support, the Conference would not be to standard that delegates have come to expect from our events:
Gold Sponsor: Queensland Reconstruction Authority
Silver Sponsor: Cardno
Silver Sponsor: NSW SES
Bronze Sponsor: BMT
Keynote Sponsor: HDR
Keynote Sponsor: Allan & Dennis
Virtual Trade: Bluemont, TUFLOW and Cardno
YFM Social Event Sponsor: WMAwater
There are just a few opportunities for your business to participate as a valued sponsor or exhibitor - contact [email protected].
NEW KEYNOTE SPEAKER – WENDY BROOKS
Conference attendees will be pleased to hear of our additional international keynote speaker – Wendy Brooks. Wendy has a lifelong passion for nature conservation and wildlife. She has a degree in the Biology of plants and animals from Newcastle University, UK. Her early career was spent working for England’s statutory nature conservation advisor, Natural
England.
Wendy joined the Environment Agency in 1999 as the Regional Conservation Manager for Anglian Region. She moved on to gain experience as a National Flood and Coastal Risk Manager. She’s managed the strategic implementation of Flood and Water Management Act 2010 key legislation in England, implemented the first cycle of the Floods Directive and developed ‘working with natural processes’
which has now become known as Natural Flood Management/Nature Based Solutions. Wendy also led the Environment Agency’s work on climate change adaptation.
Wendy has been working collaboratively with partners to develop the second National Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Strategy for England to create a nation ready for and resilient to flooding and coastal change, now, tomorrow and to the year 2100. She is leading the implementation of the Strategy within the Environment Agency and the flooding and coastal change sector in England. Wendy
is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management and a Chartered Environmentalist.
SOCIAL EVENTS
During the Online FMA Conference week, there are a number of social events that delegates may choose to attend if they wish to take part in some good old fashioned networking:
FMA PRE-CONFERENCE DINNER
While we are unable to safely host our Conference as an in-person event, FMA felt it important to be able to offer some face-to-face networking opportunities throughout the week. The Covid-Safe FMA Pre-Conference Dinners will be held in Sydney and Brisbane on the Tuesday evening, and provide you with a three-course dinner, drinks and some social time with colleagues and FMA Executive
representatives:
Date: Tuesday 25th May
Time: 6:30pm – 10:00pm
Cost: $80 (including 3 course dinner and beverages)
Venues: Sydney – L’Aqua, Darling Harbour
Brisbane – Stamford Plaza, Brisbane River, sponsored by BMT.
You can register directly for these dinners at floodplainconference.com/pre-conference-dinners.
YFM CASUAL DINNER
The Young Floodplain Managers network will be hosting a casual dinner and drinks evening on Thursday 27th May in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne, sponsored by WMAwater.
Date: Thursday 27th May
Time: 6:30pm – 10:00pm
Cost: $40 per person.
To register for the YFM dinners, please visit floodplainconference.com/social-events.
FMA NRMA INSURANCE FLOOD RISK MANAGEMENT PROJECT OF THE YEAR FINALISTS
The FMA Excellence 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.
Each year, these awards are the highlight of the FMA Conference, and we are very pleased to be able to host them again in 2021 after a brief hiatus due to the pandemic.
Nominations have closed, the review panel has met, and the following finalists are announced for the 2021 FMA Excellence Awards:
FMA NRMA Insurance Flood Risk Management Project of the Year
Central Coast Council + RHELM: Davistown and Empire Bay Climate Change Adaptation Landform Design
Department of Planning, Industry and Environment EES + Public Works Advisory: Development of Customised Field Data Collection Tool / Database for NSW Council Urban Levee Inspections
NSW State Emergency Service + Infrastructure NSW: Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley Community Resilience Program
Finalists for the FMA Allan Ezzy Flood Risk Manager of the Year and the FMA YFM Young Floodplain Manager of the Year will be announced soon. Congratulations to all on your nominations!
The winners of these prestigious awards will be announced at the upcoming Online FMA Conference.
REVIEW OF GWYDIR FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT PLAN
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The NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (Water) has commenced its five-year review of Gwydir rural floodplain management plan.
Floodplain management plans provide the framework for coordinating the development of flood works on a whole-of-valley basis. Flood works include barrages, causeways, cuttings, embankments, levees to prevent inundation of flood waters, building pads and below ground channels.
The purpose of flood work approvals is to ensure that the construction or use of a work
- does not cause negative impacts on water sources and their dependent ecosystems, other water users, and
- minimises the existing and future risk to human life and property.
The Water Management Act 2000 requires that the plan is reviewed in the fifth year after commencement to ascertain whether its provisions remain adequate and appropriate.
For details of the review see: industry.nsw.gov.au
The Department is seeking feedback regarding:
- Is the floodplain management plan adequate and appropriate for ensuring the effective implementation of the water management principles?
- Are there issues with the plan that were identified since commencement and impact on effectiveness of implementation?
- Are there potential amendments to the plan that should be considered?
Submissions close 18 May 2021.
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PLANNING FOR FLOOD RISK MANAGEMENT - ONLINE COURSE
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The Planning Institute of Australia (PIA) has revised its popular Queensland based Flood Risk Management course to make it nationally relevant.
This one-day online training program is focused on best practice planning for flood risk management, looking at land use planning responses to managing flood risk. Best practice requires a true risk-based approach, recognising that different land uses, people, density and built forms have different vulnerability or susceptibility to flood risk.
The course offers a practical training program to assist planners and others involved in floodplain management to understand the science behind flood modelling and factors that contribute to flood risk, and provides practical advice for informing strategic planning, land use and development policy and including flood information in planning instruments. It will draw on a range of
Australian case studies to inform discussion.
Presenters: Shannon Haines and Carrie Dearnley
Date: Thursday 4 November 2021
Cost: $290 PIA members, $420 non-members
Register at: planning.org.au
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WELCOME SUNSHINE COAST COUNCIL
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Sunshine Coast Council in Queensland is committed to flood risk management through it's policy and planning, decision making, design guidance, disaster management, comprehensive gauging activities,
development assessment, maintenance of assets, flood and stormwater modelling and provision of flood mapping.
The region is undergoing significant growth and will need to adapt to a changing climate. Appropriate flood risk management will be essential to ensuring the ongoing health, safety, sustainability and resilience of our community.
For more information on Council, visit www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au
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FMA WEBINAR SERIES - ARCHIVE ACCESS
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During the coming weeks, FMA will be unveiling access to an archive of the Webinar Series presentations in the Members’ Section. If you had missed one of these recent presentations, you will now be able to view them at your leisure leading up to the Online FMA Conference on the 26th
May.
You will need to be registered for the FMA Members’ Section of floods.org.au to get access. If you have any inquiries about logging in, please contact Dominique Jovanovic [email protected].
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Did you know that FMA has a record of over a decade of submissions made to State and Federal Government available online at floods.org.au/fma-submissions?
You can download and view submissions dating back to April 2011, including the most recent submission to Design and Place State Environmental Planning Policy (April 2021).
If there is a submission that you believe would be of value and interest to FMA and its Members, please get in touch.
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The YFM network is thrilled to invite you to take part in our upcoming Social Events at the FMA Conference. We will be hosting a casual dinner and drinks evening in three locations, sponsored by WMAwater.
Date: Thursday 27th May
Where: Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne
Time: 6:30pm - 10:00pm
Cost: $40 per person.
You can register for the dinners at the Conference website floodplainconference.com/social-events.
To find out more about the network of Young Floodplain Managers and how to join, visit floods.org.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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Pictured (from left): Collecting flood data, Pitt Town, in FMA Caps with Stephen Yeo (Infrastructure NSW), Isabelle Testoni (Catchment Simulation Solutions) and Rhys Thomson (RHELM).
Do you have an FMA Cap or Beanie photo you'd like to share with Flyer readers?
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