Australia: BMT WBM to Undertake Brisbane River Hydrology Study

South east Queensland homes will be better protected from future floods thanks to a $945,000 project to assess the Brisbane River catchment’s flood behaviour.

Natural Resources Minister Andrew Cripps said the hydrological assessment would enable councils to better predict the extent of flooding, such as likely depths and potential hazards, within the river catchment.

“The Queensland Government is committed to ensuring our state is better prepared for future floods and other severe weather events,” Mr Cripps said.

“To protect our homes and families, we need to have the most accurate and up-to-date information on how our rivers will behave in flood conditions.

“We have a strong plan to protect our state and we are continuing to implement the recommendations of the Queensland Floods Commission of Inquiry’s Final Report.”

The hydrological study is part of the broader Brisbane River Catchment Flood Study, announced in October last year, to assess the risk of future floods and how to minimise their impacts.

“The study will ensure we have the best understanding of the hydrology of the entire Brisbane River catchment, from the lower Brisbane River to Wivenhoe Dam, including Lockyer Creek and Bremer River,” Mr Cripps said.

“It will deliver robust hydrology models to enable councils to better predict the impact of future flooding based on rainfall events and tidal conditions.

“In turn, this will allow more sophisticated planning and management options to be developed.”

Brisbane specialist company BMT WBM Pty Ltd has been appointed to conduct the assessment program.

“The BMT WBM assessment team has technical expertise, local knowledge and extensive experience in delivering complex flood studies and hydrologic models,” Mr Cripps said.

“The hydrological assessment will be reviewed by an independent panel of experts and a technical working group to ensure the models developed are robust and represent best practice.”

Mr Cripps said the hydrology assessment represented the second and final phase of the greater catchment study.

“It also builds upon the considerable efforts of the Queensland Government, councils in the Brisbane River catchment and SEQwater to help protect communities from future floods,” he said.

“A steering committee of state and local government senior representatives will provide overall governance of the catchment study, which is expected to be completed in late 2015.”

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Press Release, July 24, 2014