Synthesis and Integrative Research Final report Living with floods: Key lessons from Australia and abroad Caroline Wenger, Karen Hussey and Jamie Pittock LIVING WITH FLOODS: KEY LESSONS FROM AUSTRALIA AND ABROAD THE AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY AUTHORS Caroline Wenger (Australian National University) Karen Hussey (Australian National University) Jamie Pittock (Australian National University) Published by the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility 2013 ISBN: 978-1-921609-89-3 Publication 18/13 Australian copyright law applies. For permission to reproduce any part of this document, please approach the authors. Please cite this report as Wenger, C, Hussey, K & Pittock J 2013, Living with floods: Key lessons from Australia and abroad, National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility, Gold Coast, 267 pp. Acknowledgements This work was carried out with financial support from the Australian Government (Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency) and the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility. The role of NCCARF is to lead the research community in a national interdisciplinary effort to generate the information needed by decision makers in government, business and in vulnerable sectors and communities to manage the risk of climate change impacts. The authors acknowledge the contribution to this report of the project end-users committee, including Neil McBeath, John Schauble, Ian Rutherfurd, Dorean Erhart, Graeme Milligan, John Ridgway, Samantha Capon, Andrew Gissing, and Karl Sullivan. Great thanks are also due to the many experts who gave up their time to participate in interviews, and to those who provided material for case studies. The latter include Adriaan Stander of Wagga Wagga City Council, Peter Kennedy of Leeton Shire Council and Nick Heath and Sean Hoobin of World Wide Fund for Nature. Thanks are owed to Professor John Handmer, RMIT University Melbourne who provided feedback on the draft. Staff from the Australian National University who assisted include Professor Steven Dovers who provided support and advice, Dr Will Grant who assisted with science communication, and Dr Michael Eburn who advised on legal aspects. The authors would also like to acknowledge the support of international experts in flood management who provided references and feedback on drafts, including Professor Guangchun Lei of Beijing Forestry University, China, Professor Toine Smits of Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands and Professor Gerald Galloway of the University of Maryland, USA. Disclaimer The views expressed herein are not necessarily the views of the Commonwealth, and the Commonwealth does not accept responsibility for any information or advice contained herein. Cover image Road flooding in outer Brisbane area © Liese Coulter Erratum notice (added 21 August 2013) Amendment of cost figures and associated text and references. Page Item Correction iv Duplicated 'Appendix 3' deleted and replaced with Table change of contents heading A3.1 47 text (para 4) change of text 203 text (para 5) change of text 223 Bibliography: add one citation (9th) and amend another change of bibliography (10th) to include URL 225 Bibliography: add one citation (3rd) change of bibliography 227 Bibliography: amend citation (8th) to include URL; amend change of bibliography citation (14th) to include ministerial number and department 228 Bibliography: add one citation (17th) change of bibliography CONTENTS ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................ V EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ....................................................................................................... VI Review processes and treatment of climate change ........................................................... vi Australian review findings .................................................................................................... vi Overseas findings ............................................................................................................... vii Interviews with Australian experts ..................................................................................... viii 1 INTRODUCTION AND METHODOLOGY ..................................................................... 1 1.1 Methodology ................................................................................................................ 1 1.2 Literature review .......................................................................................................... 1 1.3 Interviews .................................................................................................................... 3 1.4 End-users committee .................................................................................................. 3 2 SETTING THE SCENE .................................................................................................. 4 2.1 Impacts of climate change on flooding in Eastern Australia ........................................ 4 2.1.1 Queensland .......................................................................................................... 5 2.1.2 NSW ..................................................................................................................... 6 2.1.3 Victoria ................................................................................................................. 6 2.2 Other factors likely to influence flooding ..................................................................... 7 2.3 Adaptation to changing flood behaviour: natural variability versus climate change .... 7 2.3.1 Natural variation ................................................................................................... 8 2.3.2 Climate change .................................................................................................... 9 2.3.3 Adaptation approaches ...................................................................................... 10 3 OVERVIEW OF REVIEWS .......................................................................................... 11 3.1 Queensland Floods Commission of Inquiry .............................................................. 11 3.2 Brisbane flood, January 2011: Independent Review of Brisbane City Council’s response, 9–22 January 2011 ................................................................................... 12 3.2.1 Context ............................................................................................................... 12 3.3 Victorian Review of the 2010–11 Flood Warnings and Response ............................ 13 3.4 Environment and Natural Resources Committee Inquiry into Flood Mitigation Infrastructure in Victoria ............................................................................................ 14 3.5 Evaluation of review terms of reference and the extent to which they are covered in reports ....................................................................................................................... 15 4 REVIEW OF ADAPTATION MEASURES IDENTIFIED IN AUSTRALIAN FLOOD REVIEWS ............................................................................................................................. 17 4.1 Flood prevention and mitigation ................................................................................ 17 4.1.1 Dam management .............................................................................................. 17 4.1.2 Development planning ........................................................................................ 19 Legislative framework .................................................................................................... 20 4.1.3 Improved materials and design .......................................................................... 32 Living with floods: key lessons from Australia and abroad i Building codes and standards ........................................................................................ 32 4.1.4 Betterment .......................................................................................................... 36 4.1.5 Engineering solutions ......................................................................................... 38 4.1.6 Land management ............................................................................................. 43 4.1.7 Rebuilding elsewhere ......................................................................................... 47 4.2 Preparation and planning .......................................................................................... 48 4.2.1 Community resilience ......................................................................................... 48 4.2.2 Emergency management planning ..................................................................... 50 4.3 Emergency response ................................................................................................ 53 4.3.1 Forecasts, warnings and community response .................................................. 53 Coverage of warning ...................................................................................................... 53 4.3.2 Emergency management framework.................................................................. 57 4.3.3 Essential infrastructure ....................................................................................... 62 4.3.4 Isolation, evacuation ..........................................................................................