Brisbane, commonly called the most livable city in Australia, was hit by devastating floods in 2011. These floods ruined communities and shattered lives. 35 people were killed in these floods with plenty more injured. As a way of responding to this distressing event, the government came up with ways to recover productively and be as prepared as possible in the future to reduce the effect on residents and the city. As Brisbane is built on a flood plain, full prevention will never be possible however these following new schemes, action plans and rules will help to reduce the devastation when natural disasters like this do occur.
Management to Wivenhoe DamThe state government has introduced a range of new rules regarding Wivenhoe dam to reduce the affect of floods on Brisbane residents.
Millions of litres of water are now able to be released earlier in major rain events in order to protect homes and properties. Dam operators will no longer have to take into account keeping six rural bridges open when trying to manage major floods. This could save up to 1500 homes and properties and would limit the size and affect of floods in the future. Wivenhoe Dam has a floodwater storage compartment, which enables the dam to temporarily hold back water on top of the drinking water supplies stored in the dam. Wivenhoe Dam can hold 1.165 million megalitres of drinking water, however, Whivenhoe Dam's flood storage compartment holds another 1.967 million megalitres, taking the total capacity to 3.132 million megalitres. The flood storage compartments temporarily store floodwater and release it at a controlled rate with the aim of minimising downstream impacts. |
Queensland Floods Commission Of InquiryThe Queensland Floods Commission Of Inquiry acknowledges that Queensland is located on floodplains, therefore there is no way to prevent floods, however the Government has created schemes to reduce the effect that these floods have on residents.
Government agencies have engaged in a process of floodplain management involving a combination of land planning and building controls, emergency management procedures, and structural mitigation measures such as levees and dams. A flood study was also conducted at the conclusion of the floods. A flood study is a scientific investigation of an area, usually near a river catchment, which provides statistical analysis of the frequency of floods in that area. The commission also decided that it was necessary for all urban areas to have a flood study conducted to ensure data is as accurate as possible |
Brisbane's FloodSmart Future StrategyBrisbane's FloodSmart Future Strategy involves assessing and managing flood risks to reduce the impacts on people and property. This involves providing residents with relevant 'flood information' in regards to their area. This FloodSmart Future Strategy outlines Brisbane City Councils new approach to flood risk management. It summaries a plan to respond and manage flood risks and provides residents, industry and business with confidence that Brisbane will follow this plan to prevent future floods.
The best approach for disaster management takes place across four phases: prevention, preparedness, response and recovery. This involves assessing and handling flood risks and prevention of floods to reduce the dangers to people and property. This strategy enables sustainable economic development and growth of the city and delivers a combination of flood management tools based on the national and international’s best practices. Brisbane's FloodSmart Future Strategy incorporates risk-based considerations into any new planning policies, schemes and plans, including the implications of rare but very damaging floods to ensure flood emergency plans are analysed and apply for all magnitudes of flooding. |
Councils 2011 Flood Action PlanCouncil’s Flood Action Plan addresses how the councils is learnings from the Brisbane January 2011 flood and implementing improvements to disaster management arrangements. The purpose of this plan is to ensure that the Council and the city of Brisbane are better prepared for any natural disasters in the future and that they know how to handle them.
On 24 June 2011, the Lord Mayor released Council's Flood Response Review Action Plan to address the 53 recommendations in the Flood Response Review Board's report. An update to the action plan was applied creating the Brisbane City Council’s January 2011 Flood Action Plan with an extension to address the 74 Queensland Floods Commission of Inquiry report relevant to Council which was released on 16 August 2011. This will ensure further accuracy and development to the city’s management of future floods. The Flood Action Plan was then advanced further to address the 50 Commission of Inquiry final report recommendations released by the Lord Mayor in July 2012. Brisbane’s City Council has now finalized their Flood Action Plan to include all 53 of the Flood Response Review recommendations, all 74 of the Commission of Inquiry interim report recommendations relevant to Council and 46 of the 50 Commission of Inquiry final report recommendations. This is a major improvement and will definitely help management and prevention of floods in the future. |
Brisbane Flood ResponseFollowing the January 2011 floods, Brisbane City Council commissioned the independent Flood Response Review Board to review the organisation's response to the natural disaster.
A final report on the matter was established and presented on 24 May 2011. The report recognized observations and stated improvements to plans, procedures, roles and responsibilities and summarized the key findings regarding the Council’s response to recent flood events. It also provided advice to enhance the Council’s natural disaster management plans and response to future events. |
Installation of Backflow DevicesAfter the complication of backflow in the drains around Brisbane in the 2011 floods a plan to prevent this from occurring again was need. That is the backflow device was considered.
A backflow device is designed so that water flows in one direction through piped stormwater systems and minimises water flowing back up stormwater pipes. Backflow devices are effective at preventing stormwater flooding in certain circumstances, but there is no guarantee of full flooding protection. Backflow devices are one of many flood mitigation tools and strategies that Council is considering to help protect Brisbane from the impacts of flooding. Backflow devices were finally installed in certain areas 2012. A further 12 stormwater systems were identified as high priority sites and therefore backflow devices were installed with the construction completed in June 2014. Between July 2011 and May 2012, Council conducted investigations to look at the practicality of installing backflow devices in remaining areas where backflow flooding occurred. The investigation was required as these devices are not suitable in all situations. |
Management on a personal levelIf you live in a flood prone area, it is important that you have an emergency kit accessible. Items within this kit needs to include food and water, medical and sanitation supplies, battery operated and waterproof light sources, important documents in sealed bags (e.g. passports etc.), tools and supplies.
It is also vital that your family has a suitable survival plan. Your survival plan should include what you plan to do before an emergency to be ready, what you plan to do during an emergency to keep safe and minimise the damage to your property and also what you plan to do after the emergency to help recover and return to life as soon as possible. Further more, it’s important to include all household members when developing your plan and if you live alone consider creating a plan with a neighbour or close friend. |