Flood information - links

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/BOM_Qld/status/1525010846803533824

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/ozbob13/status/1525119228256583680

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/ozbob13/status/1525481676817637376

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/ozbob13/status/1525840189741903872

[ozbob]

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/IpswichCouncil/status/1544535361275285504

[ozbob]

Brisbane City Council: Flood Resilience Action Plan

https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/community-and-safety/community-safety/2022-severe-weather-event-recovery/flood-resilience-action-plan

In February 2022, Brisbane experienced a severe weather event which caused significant river and creek flooding, and overland flow. The event caused more widespread damage than had been seen in previous events of a similar nature, with 795 millimetres of total rainfall falling over five days and impacting 91% of Brisbane suburbs.

Brisbane City Council has been working with the local community to identify and repair the widespread damage and provide support to those who need it most. In addition to Council assets and services, many Brisbane residents have also been adversely affected, and Council remains committed to them and to all residents to rebuild a better and more resilient Brisbane.

Apart from the flood damage itself, the city's speed of recovery will be influenced by the unique and never-before-seen economic and societal impacts from the coronavirus pandemic.

Recognising these priorities and challenges, Council has prepared the Rebuild & Recover: Flood Resilience Action Plan to ensure Brisbane is more resilient by building back better. Council's efforts will focus on rebuilding and recovering as soon as possible, to get the city back on its feet and ready to embrace the opportunities of the next decade.


Download a copy of the plan:

Rebuild and recover: Flood Resilience Action Plan – July 2022 (PDF - 7.1Mb)

Rebuild and recover: Flood Resilience Action Plan – July 2022 (Word - 234kb)

[ozbob]

https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/95890

Flood report builds back better
1st August 2022

Premier and Minister for the Olympics
The Honourable Annastacia Palaszczuk

A comprehensive report into February's south-east Queensland floods shows both the scale of the disaster and the work underway to recover.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk thanked State Recovery Co-ordinator Major-General Jake Ellwood for his report and the Recovery and Resilience Plan that will chart the way forward.

"These floods  cost 13 lives," the Premier said.

"More than 9,000 homes were damaged.

"By any measure, this was one of the most devastating natural disasters in our history.

"It requires an equally historic effort to repair what was lost and do everything we can to ensure people are protected from suffering the same losses again.

"I am pleased to say that work is well underway."

Impacts of the South-east Queensland Floods include:

Estimated social, financial and economic losses of $7.7 billion
21,500 calls for help to the SES
More than 98,000 insurance claims led to $1.3 billion being spent on damaged property and assets
More than 1,600 sport and recreation facilities were hit by the event
More than 2,300 social housing properties were in some way damaged from the flood
Community recovery hubs had contact with more than 17,300 people
More than 600 educational facilities were affected with six schools unable to reopen for some time
A record $2.1 billion in joint Australian and Queensland government recovery funding has been allocated including the $741 million Resilient Homes Fund, the $150 million betterment fund and a $28 million flood risk management package.

4,250 people have registered interest in the Resilient Homes Fund, including:

443 in voluntary buy-back
1,278 in house raising
1,526 in resilient rebuild
Seventy per cent of those interested in buy-back live in Ipswich and Brisbane.

The Queensland Reconstruction Authority has commenced contact with those prioritised for voluntary home buy back.

Initial priority location is Goodna East because of the extent of the disaster impact and flood risk.

31 home owners have been contacted and have confirmed their interest.

Valuations will commence in mid-August in Ipswich based on pre-flood condition.

Brisbane City Council will administer the scheme in Brisbane.

Eighteen have been identified in the first tranche.

The Department of Energy and Public Works is undertaking home assessments with those who have registered interest.

Home owners will decide what best suits their interests.

The department has commenced 3,100 floor level inspections.

This is to understand where the water came in during the last flood event and determine where it might go in future.

All works and acquisitions under the Resilient Homes Fund are to be completed by June 30, 2024.

The Premier thanked Major-General Ellwood and the Queensland Reconstruction Authority for their report and plan.

Major-General Ellwood paid tribute to the resilience of Queenslanders.

"You see the very best of Queenslanders at the worst of times," Major-General Ellwood said.

"This plan finds a way forward for recovery but also focusses on resilience to mitigate the impacts of future flooding events."

Registrations of interest for the Resilient Homes Fund can be found here: https://www.qld.gov.au/resilienthomes

The Southern Queensland State Recovery and Resilience Plan can be found here: https://www.qra.qld.gov.au/2021-22-Southern-Queensland-Floods

[ozbob]

Weather warning, wetter than average Spring, Summer (possible flooding) .

[ozbob]

ICC Ipswich First --> Tell us how you were impacted by Ipswich flooding

Council is about to embark on a Listening Tour to hear first-hand how residents were impacted by floods in February and May this year.

The tour is part of the 2022 Ipswich Floods Review aimed at improving the city's preparedness and response to future flood events.

Local Disaster Management Group Chair Mayor Teresa Harding said the personal experiences of those affected by the devastating floods will guide future flood response.

"We know another flood is inevitable, so we want to hear first-hand what residents went through and learn from them about how to best prepare for floods," Mayor Harding said.

"No two floods are the same but when it comes to natural disasters, we want to get impacted residents and businesses back on their feet as quickly as possible."  ...

Details of the Listening Tour community events are:

31 August: Rosewood State School, School Street, Rosewood – 6pm to 7.30pm
13 September: United Sports Club, Joyce Street, East Ipswich – 6pm to 7.30pm
14 September: Goodna State School, Albert Street, Goodna – 6pm to 7.30pm
15 September: Karalee State School, Arthur Summervilles Road, Karalee – 6pm to 7.30pm

For more information and to register your attendance visit Shape Your Ipswich.

[ozbob]

The Converstion --> No, not again! A third straight La Niña is likely – here's how you and your family can prepare

Hearts sank along the Australian east coast this week when the Bureau of Meteorology announced a third consecutive La Niña was likely this year. La Niña weather events typically deliver above-average rainfall in spring and summer.

But the last two La Niñas mean our catchments are already full. Dams are at capacity, soils are saturated and rivers are high. In some cases, there's nowhere for the rains to go except over land.

Over the past 18 months, many communities have been hit by floods – some more than once. For these residents, the prospect of a third La Niña will be extremely concerning. And some people who've never experienced floods may now be at risk.

Our current research project is examining the experiences of flood-hit communities in New South Wales and Queensland – and our interviews have already yielded useful insights. So let's take a look at what we should be thinking about now as another wet summer looms. ...

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/bne_lordmayor/status/1564704805633036289

[ozbob]

Last night we won the distinguished "Passenger Operations Excellence Award" at the Australasian Rail Industry Awards for...

Posted by Queensland Rail on Wednesday, 14 September 2022

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/ozbob13/status/1572364488090996737

[ozbob]

Been heavy rail on the Gold Coast Hinterland and Northern NSW Coast overnight.

https://twitter.com/SEQUESTRADIO/status/1572975276677820419

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/abcnews/status/1573048360130338817

[ozbob]

ABC News --> BOM's severe weather outlook signals a summer of cyclones and floods

... The outlook warns of an increased risk of widespread flooding for eastern and northern Australia and an increased risk of an above average number of tropical cyclones and tropical lows. ...

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Premier confirms two weeks of Wivenhoe releases to prepare for storm season $

Water will be released from Wivenhoe Dam in a bid to lower levels at southeast Queensland's largest dam before the region is hit with severe weather.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk confirmed water will be released from Wivenhoe Dam from Saturday, October 16, for two weeks in a bid to drop the water levels in the dam from 90 per cent to 80 per cent before the storm season.

And as a cost-of-living perk southeast Queenslanders will also receive free water Ms Palaszczuk confirmed. ...

[ozbob]

https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/96319

Wivenhoe Dam readied for La Nina
13th October 2022

JOINT STATEMENT

Premier and Minister for the Olympics
The Honourable Annastacia Palaszczuk

Minister for Regional Development and Manufacturing and Minister for Water
The Honourable Glenn Butcher

In preparation for this summer's forecast La Nina, Wivenhoe Dam's temporary full supply level will be lowered.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk today announced the decision to lower the temporary full supply to 80 per cent, saying the move is to ensure Queenslanders and communities remain safe.

"With parts of Queensland already saturated, the threat of floods is here and it is real.

"In light of forecasts from the Bureau of Meteorology and expert advice, the decision has been made to lower the level of Wivenhoe Dam.

"This will increase the temporary flood storage space in Wivenhoe Dam to allow additional flood waters to be stored if required," she said.

"We know flood safety is top of mind for Queenslanders at the moment and so too is the cost of living.

"So today, I am also announcing that we will reduce water bills for all South East Queensland households connected to the SEQ water grid, by $55.

"This will equate to the use of 13,200 litres of free water for approximately 1.38 million homes."

Minister for Water Glenn Butcher said the decision to lower the temporary full supply level was made under Section 390 of the Water Supply (Safety and Reliability) Act 2008 taking into account expert advice and a range of important considerations.

"This isn't a decision I've taken lightly but after receiving briefings and advice from Seqwater, the Department of Environment and Science, and the Department of Regional Development Manufacturing and Water, it was clear that this is a good decision which is aimed at best preparing us for the weather that lies ahead.

"From Saturday, minor gated releases will occur from Wivenhoe Dam. These will be controlled releases, made in accordance with the Flood Manual.

"Across the next two weeks, Seqwater will drain around 116,000 megalitres of water.

"This provides additional flood mitigation benefits provided by the Wivenhoe and Somerset dams system, manage the ongoing safety of both dams, and balances South East Queensland's water security."

Mr Butcher said the releases would be managed to minimise any impact on the community. If significant wet weather occurs while the dams are being lowered, Seqwater will adjust its strategy to respond as required.

"We know this will give peace of mind to families in SEQ and so too will the discount to water bills.

"By applying a $55 discount, we want to encourage families to get out and make the most of this opportunity.

"Now is the time to wash your driveway, gurney your house and driveway and flush out your gutters," he said.

The discount will apply to households in Brisbane, Redlands, Logan, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Noosa, Ipswich, Somerset, Scenic Rim, Moreton Bay and the Lockyer Valley councils.

Seqwater will keep the community informed of releases before they begin, and over the 14-day period.

Updates will occur through traditional and social media channels as well as through Seqwater's dam release notification service

 For more detailed information or to register for Seqwater's dam release notification service visit www.seqwater.com.au.

ENDS

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/BOM_Qld/status/1583626896037642240

[ozbob]

Ipswich First --> Real-time Ipswich flood cameras at fingertips of residents

Council has installed four CCTV cameras across the city to give residents instant access to view rising flood waters with another six to be installed in coming weeks.

Local Disaster Management Group Chair Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding said the new Flood Monitoring CCTV Network will update every 15 minutes on the Ipswich Disaster Dashboard to allow residents to check water levels across the city.

"By simply logging on to the Disaster Dashboard, residents can select a camera and check the height of flood waters and see for themselves what roads or bridges may be closed," Mayor Harding said.

"This will enable them to make decisions about proposed travel and not place themselves in risky situations where water may be blocking access." ...

Ipswich Disaster Dashboard > https://disaster.ipswich.qld.gov.au/

On the situation map toggle on/off what is required.

View at Goodna boat ramp



 

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/ABCemergency/status/1594854926886354945

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/BOM_Qld/status/1597024028430057472

[ozbob]

Bradfield Regional Assessment and Development panel

https://www.rdmw.qld.gov.au/water/consultations-initiatives/bradfield-regional-assessment-development-panel

Panel's key findings

The panel recommends against proceeding with the Bradfield Scheme, or similar large-scale proposals. Their report shows it would be unfeasible to take immense volumes of water from northern Queensland and move it vast distances west and south for irrigation. Read a summary of the report findings here.

The panel found the Bradfield Scheme and its large-scale variants faltered at the first hurdle – the consistent availability of water – and were unfeasible on economic, environmental, social and cultural heritage grounds.

It found that maximising the use of water closer to where it falls, through regional water grids and effective local use of water resources, presents opportunities for sustainable regional development, as well as more environmental and cultural heritage benefits in regional areas.

Several recommendations focus on maximising sustainable water development and water security to achieve regional development benefits. Their investigation provides a strong case for investing in the use of water closer to where it falls, and investigating linkages between regional water systems which will help to mitigate local supply issues and accelerate regional development.

The report examines the expected impacts of climate change on water availability and supports the Queensland Government's requirement to consider climate change impacts in future water plan reviews.

It also recognises the importance of reducing nutrient, sediment and pesticide loads into the Great Barrier Reef as well as the need to avoid significant ecological damage in Cape York, the Wet Tropics, the Gulf and Lake Eyre Basin.

The panel determined that if current sustainable water management frameworks were abandoned to favour a Bradfield Scheme, the over-allocation problems experienced in the Murray–Darling would eventually occur on the rivers, industries and ecosystems of central and northern Queensland, particularly in the Burdekin.

This assessment aligns with the Australian Government's report prepared by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), An assessment of contemporary variations of the Bradfield Scheme. The CSIRO studies referenced in the panel's report also concluded that the original Bradfield Scheme and a contemporary CSIRO variant are not economically viable.

====

Government Statement:

Expert panel report on Bradfield Scheme released
8th December 2022
https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/96755

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/BOM_Qld/status/1600707035607203840

[ozbob]

Ipswich First --> Ipswich flood review finds 47 areas of improvement

A comprehensive review of council's response to devastating flooding earlier this year has praised response and recovery efforts and made 47 recommendations for further improvements.

The February-March 2022 Ipswich Flood Review found council has the necessary organisational structures, resources, documents and processes in place to effectively manage disasters.

Its 47 recommendations range across strategic and operational areas to further enhance the council's response capability.

Local Disaster Management Group Chair Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding said the motivation for her Mayoral Minute which prompted the flood review was to ensure council was always improving its disaster response.

"Council takes its role as the lead agency in Ipswich for disaster response and recovery coordination very seriously and will address each of the recommendations with due consideration," Mayor Harding said.

"The February-March 2022 Flood Review is a further demonstration of council's commitment to continuous improvement and transparency.

"The findings of the council-initiated review echo that of the Inspector-General of Emergency Management's South East Queensland Rainfall and Flooding February to March 2022 Review which twice called out the effectiveness of Ipswich City Council's disaster response and recovery efforts.

"This is a credit to the extensive work council has undertaken in recent years, in collaboration with key local disaster response agencies and the wider Ipswich community, to promote disaster preparedness and resilience.

"Unfortunately, our city is no stranger to natural disasters and we know Ipswich has a high flood risk and that severe flooding will occur again.

"To give our community the best chance of weathering future disasters, we must always reflect on and improve our disaster response and recovery capability." ...

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/BOM_Qld/status/1606802681800151040

[ozbob]

ABC News --> Queensland flash flooding brings life-threatening conditions to state's north and centre

Dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding is possible for parts of north and central Queensland with the Bureau of Meteorology warning up to 300 millimetres could fall in some areas.

The heavy rainfall warning spans from Cardwell to Carmila and includes adjacent inland areas between Charters Towers to Moranbah.

Already 222mm had fallen at Forbes Road, west of Mackay, 192mm at Calen and 190mm at Cungull, in just under 24 hours.

Between 9am and 3pm, Murray Flats near Tully had recorded 108mm and Finch Hatton 60mm.

Water has gone over a number of roads in the region, with nine people stranded on a highway north of Emerald. ...

Queensland Rail Travel (train) service updates > https://www.queenslandrailtravel.com.au/ServiceUpdates

[ozbob]

ABC News --> Another 500mm of rain possible for Mackay region as deluge swamps Queensland's north

After days of intense rainfall, another 400 to 500 millimetres has been forecast for Queensland's central coast, with Mackay and Mirani bracing for early-morning flooding on Tuesday.

Key points:

. Falls of more than 500mm have been recorded in several locations, with forecasts of more to come
. The severe weather isn't expected to ease in northern Queensland until mid week
. Roads in western Queensland have been severely damaged

It prompted Mackay Regional Council to put out a watch and act emergency alert at 7.30pm on Monday fore residents in Cremorne.

"The Pioneer River affecting Cremorne is expected to peak causing moderate flooding on Tuesday around 7am," the alert reads. ...

Queensland Rail Travel (train) service updates > https://www.queenslandrailtravel.com.au/ServiceUpdates

[ozbob]

Code Select Expand

https://twitter.com/SEQLDStorms/status/1615121500985790465

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/CameronAtfield/status/1622012099785551872

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/BOM_Qld/status/1625336633162706946

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/BOM_Qld/status/1625342018858762240

[ozbob]

Media Release

Minister for Regional Development and Manufacturing and Minister for Water
The Honourable Glenn Butcher

23rd February 2023

Palaszczuk Government taking next steps on critical Paradise Dam project

Minister for Regional Development and Manufacturing and Minister for Water
The Honourable Glenn Butcher

Enabling works at Paradise Dam will begin shortly, including work on the dam's outlet valves
The works are critical for the dam to be safely operated during the Paradise Dam Improvement Project
250 good construction jobs will be created throughout the project's lifespan
The Palaszczuk Government is forging ahead with the Paradise Dam restoration program.

Queensland Water Minister Glenn Butcher said enabling works at the dam would start soon, while a range of procurement, design and planning activities were already well underway.

Sunwater expect to start work on the dam's outlet in April 2023, weather permitting.

These works are critical for the dam to be safely operated during the Paradise Dam Improvement Project.

Bundaberg MP Tom Smith said the project would support more than 250 jobs during construction and deliver long-term economic benefits to Queensland.

Sunwater will today host an industry briefing in Bundaberg, which will provide an overview of the civil construction procurement process for enabling road works.

Additionally, quarry investigations and concrete mix design trials are underway. This is a critical step in project planning to ensure the dam can provide water security into the future.

Sunwater CEO Glenn Stockton said the project's dedicated team is working across multiple fronts to prepare for works at Paradise Dam.

Quotes attributable to Water Minister Glenn Butcher:

"It is great to see progress on this critical project that will return the dam to its full 300 gigalitre capacity as part of safety improvement works," he said.

"A rebuilt Paradise Dam will provide future certainty for local growers - as well as ensuring a safe and secure water supply across the region for generations."

"Today's announcement won't come as a surprise to Sunwater's clients and stakeholders, as they've been kept up to date by the fantastic team on the ground throughout this process.

Quotes attributable to Bundaberg MP Tom Smith:

"This region is one of Australia's most important food bowls and we know that a reliable water supply is a key ingredient for continued growth and prosperity," he said.

"This is a critical step on the path to restoring Paradise Dam and one that is supported by the Palaszczuk Government and local growers.

"Moving forward, I'm proud that Bundaberg workers will play an important role in delivering this project.

"We already have a local firm engaged in road upgrade works and there will be many more job opportunities to come."

Quotes attributable to Sunwater CEO Glenn Stockton:

"As we will be undertaking work on an operational dam that sits in a dynamic river system, there are a number of things we must consider to ensure a safe working environment," he said.

"The upcoming outlet works will require water releases to lower the dam's storage level.

"Since mid-2022, we have advised customers that releases would be needed at certain times so we can safely complete work to restore and strengthen Paradise Dam.

"There will be no impact on announced allocations this water year and Sunwater will continue to actively engage customers about releases to allow for appropriate planning."

Further information:

The Paradise Dam Improvement project is jointly funded by the Australian Government through the National Water Grid Fund ($600 million) and the Queensland Government ($600 million).

[ozbob]

This is an interesting article, well worth reading.

This discussion forum thread was commenced 11th January 2011 as the floods developed.  It too is an interesting account of the floods at the time as it unfolded.

=====

ABC News --> Dam engineers criticised for 2011 Brisbane floods defend handling, say governments need to act on planning regulations

Death threats, phone taps and 24-hour security — they were never the sort of things Rob Ayre and Terry Malone imagined could concern their work as flood engineers in south-east Queensland.

But in 2011, after the pair helped operate a dam network in a bid to mitigate extreme river floods in Ipswich and Brisbane, they faced a sea of controversy and blame even before the last murky waters had drained away.

Now, over a decade after the flood that caused 33 deaths, impacted more than 14,000 properties and left a damage bill of about $2.3 billion, the engineers have finally responded to their detractors.

They want to raise awareness about the continued vulnerability of the region to flooding regardless of the dams.

Critically, they say that despite the passing of so much time, authorities have not fully understood or acted on the key lessons from the event.

They said last year's floods, which resulted in over 22,000 properties being impacted despite the intervention of the region's two major dams, the Wivenhoe and Somerset, demonstrated the lack of understanding. ...

[ozbob]

Media Release  not online

Minister for Transport and Main Roads
The Honourable Mark Bailey

Flood images now hosted on QLDtraffic
7th March 2023

Motorists will now have access to 50 flood monitoring camerasThe images will show flooding events in any of the 17 local council areas.

With a simple click, motorists can now access the latest images from more than 50 flood cameras from across the state following upgrades to QLDTraffic.

This technical enhancement to the website had allowed for the direct sharing of imagery from flood-monitoring cameras across Queensland.

QLDTraffic continues to be the Queensland Government's official source of live traffic and travel information.

In the 2021–22 financial year, the QLDTraffic website was visited about six million times while the app was downloaded onto more than 160,000 devices.

TMR is committed to ensuring all motorists have access the latest road condition information through the QLDTraffic website, smartphone app and 13 19 40 services.

Quotes attributed to Transport and Main Roads Minister, Mark Bailey MP:

"The community now has access to camera images from 17 local council areas in northern and southern Queensland," Mr Bailey said.

"Transport and Main Roads (TMR) and local governments both maintain a variety of different types of road-monitoring equipment, including flood-monitoring cameras, which supply vital information for the management, safety and efficiency of the network.

"Due to a number of recent flooding events, there has been a significant investment in flood-monitoring equipment across Queensland's road network.

"Making these images publicly available provides additional, timely information to communities and travellers during severe weather conditions, allowing them to make safer, more informed travel decisions.

"This innovative and creative use of existing infrastructure is another example of how we can help communities stay safe and informed during disaster and weather events."

ENDS

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/ozbob13/status/1633987296998625282

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/BOM_Qld/status/1634338485086633984

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/BOM_Qld/status/1634757816098365441

[ozbob]

https://x.com/BOM_Qld/status/1729647624666464727?s=20