FLOODPLAIN VOL 3 No. 6 MANAGER DECEMBER 2007 CONNECTING AND INFORMING AUSTRALIAN FLOODPLAIN MANAGERS INSIDE FEDS FORGET FLOODS Editorial 2 The recent Federal election has delivered a new cabinet and 2008 FMA Conference 2 new departments but it appears that floods and the Natural Court Rules on Flooding 3 Disaster Mitigation Program have fallen through the cracks. Plans for Vans 4 What was formerly the Federal Department of Transport and New Research Centre 4 Regional Services is now the Department of Infrastructure, Exceptional Delays 5 Transport, Regional Development and Local Government and Victorian Flood Strategy 5 Anthony Albanese is its new minister. Vic Flood Database Updated 5 Prior to the Federal election, Mr Albanese, as the Opposition Natural Hazards in Australia 5 Spokesperson on water, was unable to provide a policy Floods and Building Design 6 statement in relation to floodplain management funding or a Floods and Schools 6 meaningful response to inquiries from the Floodplain Natural Hazards on Line 6 Management Authorities ( FM Oct 2007 ). However, he did Maitland FloodSafe 7 promise the FMA executive that if flooding was within his portfolio in a Labor government, he would be interested to Gippsland Floods 7 meet with them to discuss policy issues. Flooded Cars Flood Market 8 New Property Risk Product 9 The FMA Chairman, Alan Ezzy, told Floodplain Manager that Yallourn Mine Floods 9 the FMA wrote to Mr Albanese the Tuesday after the election but by mid December, had received no response. FMA NFRAG Commissions Review 9 telephone inquiries were directed to the Minister for Water and Consistent Flood Insurance 9 others before being directed back to Mr Albanese. Floods Kill The Radio Stars 10 Seasonal Outlook 11 Albanese’s office told Floodplain Manager that the Attorney General was now responsible for the NDMP but direct International Floods 12 inquiries about NDMP were responded to by the new department which reports to Albanese. SUBSCRIBE Floodplain Manager is News regarding the NDMP is not good. Although 2007/08 distributed to subscribers. Six grants for four states have been decided ( FM Oct 2007 ), there editions are published each year. is no news about the others and no grant information has been The annual subscription fee is $99 published. It is not possible to tell how flood-related projects including GST. Back issues are have fared in the process. available. Normally applications for NDMP funding would open in Subscription, inquiries should be December and close in February but there is currently no directed to Molino Stewart NDMP proposed for 2008/09. A review of the program which was scheduled for 2007 ( FM Dec 2006 ) was postponed to 2008 P: 02 9354 0300 but with a new government in place no one knows when it will E: [email protected] take place, if at all. W: www.molinostewart.com.au ISSN 1832-4541 Copyright © Molino Stewart Pty Ltd 2007. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publisher. Permission inquiries should be emailed to [email protected] FLOODPLAIN MANAGER page 2 December 2007 EDITORIAL 2008 FMA CONFERENCE The new Federal Government has Preparations are progressing well for the 2008 FMA hit the ground running on climate Conference to be held at the Novotel Northbeach, Wollongong change but one of the most from 26 th to 29 th February, 2008. significant physical impacts of climate change, flooding, does not There will be 30 papers presented by leaders in the fields of yet appear to be on the flood hazard, planning in flood prone areas, emergency Government’s agenda. In fact, it management, flood education, climate change and working can’t seem to work out whose with the community. responsibility it should be. This conference will include three technical tours and A landmark court decision in participants can chose from: NSW, however, may set a precedent throughout the country Inspection of sites affected by the destructive August 1998 in how climate change induced floods flooding is considered in the development approval process Inspection of West Dapto future urban release area and and push the traditional flood risk areas affected by the record breaking 1984 storm assessment boundaries. Inspection of SES Headquarters and Lake Illawarra The floods in the Hunter and Entrance Improvement Works. NSW Central Coast in June may also push some other boundaries. The two key note speakers will be Marshall Frech and Al They are now reportedly the third Goodman from the United States. most expensive natural disaster in Australia after Cyclone Tracey Marshall is a journalist and the Director of the Flood Safety and the Newcastle earthquake. Project. He produced the Emmy nominated documentaries Interestingly, those two events led "Flash Flood Alley" and "The Water's Edge" which aired on to the review of building U.S. public television and has created the FloodSafety.com standards in Australia for those website. two natural hazards. Will the recent floods precipitate a long Al is a member of the Mississippi Emergency Management overdue inclusion of flood Agency (MEMA) and has served as the National Flood resistivity into the Building Code Insurance Program (NFIP) State Coordinator. Since beginning of Australia? We can at least work at the NFIP, he has developed 14 Presidential Disaster report that the Australian Building Declarations , nine State Declared Disasters, and 22 States of Codes Board is looking into it. Emergency. He is now Director of the Floodplain Management Bureau within MEMA and has developed and delivered There also is good news from courses at the National Emergency Training Center. ICA on the insurance front. But don’t hold your breath. The The conference will be preceded by two professional Bureau of Meteorology’s seasonal development workshops: outlook suggests that we may be in for some more floods before ‘Practical Consideration of Climate Change’ there are significant policy shifts ‘Effective Consideration of Flood Risk Management in which will reduce their impacts. Land Use Planning’. Wishing you all a Happy Christmas and New Year. More info: www.iceaustralia.com/fmawollongong or [email protected] Steven Molino Copyright © Molino Stewart Pty Ltd 2007. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publisher. Per mission inquiries should be emailed to editor@molin ostewart.com.au December 2007 FLOODPLAIN MANAGER page 3 DIARY COURT RULES ON CLIMATE CHANGE INDUCED FLOODING AUSTRALIAN CONFERENCES • 48 th Annual Floodplain Management A landmark decision in the NSW Land and Authority Conference 2008 Environment Court means that climate change induced flooding must be considered in the Wollongong, NSW 26-29 Feb 2008 development approval process. http://www.iceaustralia.com/fmawollongong/ see article preceding page A proposed residential and retirement development at Sandon Point, north of • Water Down Under 2008 Wollongong had been approved by Planning Adelaide, SA 14-18 Apr 2008 Minister Sartor under Part 3A of the NSW www.waterdownunder2008.com/ Environmental Planning and Assessment Act. This part of the Act allows developments of state • 9th National Conference on Hydraulics in or regional significance to be referred to the Water Engineering Minister for assessment, instead of the local Council. Darwin, NT 23-26 Sept 2008 th Call for abstracts, deadline 18 Jan 2008 The NSW Environment Defenders Office [email protected] appealed the decision on the grounds that the Minister had not considered the impacts of INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES climate change induced flooding on the The Use of Historical data in Rainfall and development, amongst other things. Flood Forecasting Justice Briscoe agreed and said that climate Oxford, UK, 8 Jan 2008 change “is a deadly serious issue”, but noted that [email protected] neither the Director-General’s environmental assessment nor any other documents referred to • 4th International Symposium on Flood by the Minister referred to climate change. Defence. When contacted by Floodplain Manager , the Toronto, Canada, 14-16 May 2008 Department of Planning’s media spokesperson http://www.flood2008.org/flood/ was unable to comment on the case nor indicate nd whether the Minister was likely to appeal. 2 Australasian Natural Hazards Management Conference 2008 Wollongong Council’s Flood Engineer, Pas Wellington, New Zealand 29-30 July 2008 Silveri, told Floodplain Manager that the local Optional Workshops 28 &31 July 2008 flood study which Council had undertaken, and [email protected] which was available to the developer and the Papers due 1 April 2008 Department, included a 0.3m sea level increase to account for climate change. • ASFPM 33 rd Annual Conference The judgement can be viewed at Orlando, USA, 7-12 Jun 2009 www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au by following the links http://www.floods.org/home/default.asp to Court Decisions/Land and Environment Court/most recent judicial decisions/Walker v Minister for Planning [207] NSWLEC741. Copyright © Molino Stewart Pty Ltd 2007. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publisher. Permission inquiries should be emailed to [email protected] FLOODPLAIN MANAGER page 4 December 2007 PLANS FOR VANS The intention is for the CMAs and VICSES to meet with managers of caravan parks with Guides have been prepared for caravan parks in known flood risks and use the Guidelines and Victoria and NSW to help park managers and Template to help the managers develop detailed occupants to be better prepared for floods. The plans for their facilities. flood risks in caravan parks have increased in recent decades as they are increasingly occupied Already the process has paid dividends. One of by permanent or semi-permanent residents (often the caravan parks in Lorne which was used to retirees) in mobile homes or cabins which cannot trial the guidelines had a new manager who had be moved out of the path of floodwaters.