North Burnett Regional Council has been successful in securing funding under the Flood Risk Management Program, which is jointly funded by the Australian and Queensland Governments, under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements. Of the $18.25 million available under the program, Councils of the Burnett Catchment were successful in securing $4.15 million. Of this, North Burnett Regional Council will be managing $264,500 in projects.
“The Flood Risk Management Program projects will improve Council’s flood intelligence and planning, to be better prepared and able to respond to flooding events. Projects funded under the program include a Total Flood Warning Review, Flood Action Plans, a Burnett River Flood Warning Intelligence System and a Burnett Catchment Flood Study,” said Mayor Hotz.
“The Total Flood Warning Review will assess flood predictions and interpretations, to better identify community impacts. It also reviews how the warning information is shared with the community and what actions need to be taken by emergency responders at predicted flood levels,” Mayor Hotz further explained.
“Following the Flood Warning Review, Flood Action Plans will be developed for at risk communities. These action plans will identify flood risks, trigger points and actions based on identified risks. These plans will be focused on providing guidance to the Local Disaster Management Group and educating the community on their risks and actions linked to flood heights in the Burnett Catchment. A review of the flood classifications (what water levels are minor, moderate and major) will also occur during the review.”
“The Burnett River Flood Warning Intelligence System will develop software which provides timely, useful and actionable information to both the community and Local Disaster Management Group in an easy to understand way. This will focus on linking the forecast water level to an expected impact, such as road closures and home inundation.”
“Council will also partner with other Local Governments in the Burnett Catchment, to deliver a Flood Study for the entire Burnett Catchment. This will help us better understand the flood impacts across the entire catchment, not just within the Local Government Boundaries.”
“The community is encouraged to participate in the development of these documents, to ensure we develop tools which help both the community and the members of the Local Disaster Management Group. Workshops will be held throughout the region, to help collect information, and we look forward to you attending,” Mayor Hotz encouraged.
Projects under the Flood Risk Management Program are to be delivered by 30 June 2024.
Media Contact
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