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NEXT FMA MEETINGS: HYBRID COMBINED QLD + NSW/ACT MEETING 26 AUGUST
A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
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If anyone doubted the importance of floodplain management, we would only need to draw their attention to the events of this year already….and it’s only half over.
Following the massive flood events in Queensland and NSW a few weeks ago, this last month has brought widespread flooding to Victoria claiming two lives and bringing catastrophic damage to large parts of the east of the state.
With more than 200mm of rain falling in 24 hours in several locations as of 10 June, Major Flood Warnings were in place for the Avon, Latrobe, Macalister, Thomson, Yarra rivers and Traralgon Creek.
The heavy rainfall caused rivers to rise, in particular the Traralgon Creek in Traralgon where Victoria State Emergency Service (VICSES) issued an evacuation notice for more than 200 homes.
The floods claimed two lives, with a woman’s body found in a vehicle in flood waters south-west of Melbourne and an older man was also found dead in his partially submerged car in the coastal Gippsland town of Woodside.
VICSES reported several people were rescued by helicopter, including some trapped in homes and others trapped in vehicles. Emergency services received thousands of calls for assistance, mostly for wind damage. Downed powers lines left more than 200,000 homes in the state without power and there were 100 roads closed, including parts of the Mount Dandenong Tourist Road and the Maroondah
Highway near Melbourne.
Where would we be without the SES? They provide an incredible service to the community but are we becoming reliant on their emergency response rather than investing in wise land use planning and mitigation measures?
Around the time of our FMA National Conference in May, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that $600 million would be invested in a new program of disaster preparation and mitigation, managed by the new National Recovery and Resilience Agency.
This is a good step in the right direction, so hopefully we can reverse the current trend of placing an ever-increasing burden on our marvellous SES personnel.
ID
Ian Dinham | FMA President
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AUGUST FMA MEETING ARRANGEMENTS
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Due to the rapidly changing meeting and travel restrictions the following arrangements have been developed for FMA’s August Quarterly Meetings:
Meeting: A hybrid Queensland + NSW/ACT Meeting will be held online on Thursday 26 August (the scheduled NSW/ACT Meeting date), with limited in-person participation at a Sydney venue, if permissible.
In-person attendance will require pre-registration, details will be provided closer to the meeting.
Workshops: Two concurrent online streams for Queensland and NSW/ACT topics, presently being developed.
Queensland Networking Event: A casual networking event will be held in Brisbane after the Workshop, if permissable.
Please reserve Thursday 26 August in your calendar now.
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BURDEKIN AND HAUGHTON FLOOD RESILIENCE STRATEGY RELEASED
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Photo: Historic flooding in the township of Alpha, image courtesy of QRA.
The Queensland Government has released a new Flood Resilience Strategy developed in partnership with eight North Queensland local governments.
The $1 million Burdekin and Haughton Flood Resilience Strategy project was approved as part of the joint Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA) $242 million Category C and D package for the 2019 North and Far North Queensland Monsoon Trough.
Minister for Emergency Management David Littleproud said the strategy would increase community capacity in the face of major flood events.
“The Burdekin and Haughton catchments are home to approximately 110,000 people across almost 39,000 properties, stretching from Alpha in the south all the way up the Atherton Tablelands in the north,” Minister Littleproud said. “This strategy is about being prepared and an excellent example of cooperation between the Australian and Queensland governments."
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Photo: A spilling Burdekin Falls Dam, 2021, image credit Fraser Ramsay.
Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning Steven Miles said the strategy was developed by the Queensland Reconstruction Authority in partnership with the eight local governments of the Burdekin and Haughton River catchments and other key stakeholders.
“Examples from the strategy include pre-planning for post-disaster recovery and working with camping and caravan park operators to ensure they have appropriate emergency plans in place.”
Implementation of the strategy will be overseen by the following project partner councils: Barcaldine Regional Council, Burdekin Shire Council, Charters Towers Regional Council, Isaac Regional Council, Mackay Regional Council, Tablelands Regional Council, Townsville City Council and Whitsunday Regional Council.
For more information, and an excellent video, visit: www.qra.qld.gov.au/burdekin-haughton
NEW DISASTER RESPONSE TASKFORCE TO SUPPORT NSW COUNCILS
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A new Disaster Response Taskforce has been established by the NSW Government to help local councils respond to natural disasters and manage the recovery process.
Deputy Premier and the minister responsible for disaster recovery John Barilaro said five new roles have been created to help council staff develop and deliver disaster recovery projects across NSW.
“The scale of the recent floods across NSW have put local councils under immense pressure as they work hard to restore safe access and rebuild – a job that they sometimes do not have the in-house capability or capacity to deliver quickly,” Mr Barilaro said.
“That’s why we have established this specialised taskforce to work with councils across the state to help their communities get back on their feet as soon as possible.”
Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Paul Toole said the new staff will assist councils in applying for disaster funding to ensure they have the resources they need to fix vital infrastructure in a timely manner.
“These specialists will be based in the regions they are supporting, which makes a huge difference in understanding the needs of each community, and will be in place by the end of the month.”
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FLOOD RISK MANAGEMENT COURSE ON HOLD
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FMA has been advised by the University of Technology-Sydney (UTS) that the Flood Risk Management Short Course will not be held in 2021. Due to the pandemic UTS is reducing the number of subject offerings this year to reduce costs.
FMA President Ian Dinham said “It's rather sad as the course has been such a success story thanks to everyone who has delivered and participated in it over the last 14 years.
“Last year an on-line version of the course was successfully trialled, and since the FMA National Conference in May there has been strong interest in the course planned for this year.”
The course was originally developed by FMA and the then NSW Office of Environment and Heritage, in conjunction with and operated by UTS. The University has advised that the course will be back in Spring 2022.
Until then those interested land use planning for flood risk management may wish to consider the one-day online training program to be offered by the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA) on 4 November. More information is at: planning.org.au
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ITS THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN...
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FMA Members have been receiving their Membership Renewal Invoice for 2021-2022, so please look for it in your inbox.
The annual subscription is FMA’s main source of operating income so we do appreciate your prompt payment. It is only through the support of Members that we can continue FMA’s advocacy, professional development, information sharing and networking services.
Fees have been retained at last year’s rates, and your Membership will entitle you to early access to the 2021 Digital FMA Conference papers and presentations (where these have been provided by the presenters) and discounted registration rates for next year’s FMA Conference in Toowoomba, QLD.
If you are not yet a Member, please check the FMA website for details on joining: floods.org.au/site/membership
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WELCOME TO OUR NEWEST FMA MEMBER
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This month FMA would like to welcome a new Professional Member into our ever-expanding national network. As many will know, we do not disclose the names of our Professional or Individual Members due to privacy reasons, but we are very excited for you to be a part of our flood team (you know who you are!)
It is heartening to see so many driven individuals making up our Membership, with such an extensive wealth of industry knowledge and experience.
If you are interested in joining Floodplain Management Australia, or know of someone who would, please visit floods.org.au/membership for more information.
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It’s been a big month for the YFM and FMA. First of all we would like to congratulate the inaugural Young Floodplain Manager of the year winner, Tim Morrison from Catchment Simulation Solutions. The award aims to recognise a Young Floodplain Manager who has made an outstanding contribution or achievement to the floodplain management
industry, and who embodies the core values of the Young Floodplain Managers network.
The winner of the Outstanding Young Presenter Award will also be announced at the August Quarterly Meeting and the celebrates the best poster or presentation by a YFM at the conference. The conference social events were also a big hit in Brisbane and Sydney, and Victoria is looking to reschedule the social event once things clear up again. You can find photos from the conference events
in the links below:
Sydney FMA YFM Social Event
Sydney FMA Pre-Conference Dinner
The NSW YFM committee would like to welcome four new members; Alexandra Nero, Madeline Harty, Michelle Supangat and Kieran Smith.
Finally, keep your calendars open for 26 August where (COVID pending) we hope to catch up at a pub after the FMA Quarterly Meeting - stayed tuned for more details.
To find out more information about the Young Floodplain Managers network, 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: Project and Services Manager Dominique Jovanovic with her 4 week old son sporting his first FMA Cap.
Do you have an FMA Cap or Beanie photo you'd like to share with Flyer readers?
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