Green Heart Engagement ProgramPlanning Day – 4 May 2018 Building

United Nations Habitat

Building Resiliency through Urban Plans and Designs

Urban Flood Resilience: The Brisbane Experience

A conversation with a deputation from the Philippines

Water, Energy and Environmental Systems

Brisbane City CouncilJuly 2018

Outline• History

• Historical flood planning and development snap shot

• January 2011 Flood

• FloodSmart Future Strategy

• The Why and What of the FloodSmart Future Strategy

• The four floodplain risk management tools

• Smart Planning & Building

• Well Maintained & Improved Structural Assets

• World Class Response and Recovery

• Educated & Resilient Community

• Opportunities

• Conclusion

Welcome to Brisbane

Records of flood levels1960’s

Computer models of

creeks1970’s

First flood maps from historical events

1980’sFlood

studies and FRLs

1990’sGIS flood

information2000’s

‘Drainage Problem

Areas’ in first Town Plan

‘Areas Subject to

Flooding’ in the Town Plan

‘Brisbane Waterways’ Policy and

Flood Regulation

Lines

‘Waterway Corridors’ in

City Plan and Defined Flood

Levels

A long history of flood management

A long history of flood management

Over the past five years Council

has invested $600 million

towards flood management:

• Extensive pipes and

drainage works

• Backflow devices

• Flood information online

for residents and

businesses

• Lord Mayor’s Taskforce

on Suburban flooding

2011 Brisbane River Flood

2011 Brisbane River

Flood

Volunteers were

everywhere and

made a difference to

the people who had

been flooded

Government response

• Qld Floods Commission of Inquiry and

BCC Flood Action Plan

• Focus to make Brisbane more

resilient to flooding disasters

• 124 recommendations and

improvements for Council:

• Floodplain management

• Planning and building

• Emergency response and

dam management

FloodSmart Future Strategy

The Behaviour Response - A FloodSmart Future

• Flooding is complex, technical and often difficult to explain

• Flooding is also a natural part of living in a sub-tropical

climate

We wanted to communicate a story.

Current Activities

• New City Plan

• Subdivision &

Development

Guidelines

• Development

Assessment

Process

• Building

Certification

• VHP Scheme

• Neighbourhood

Planning

• Major & Minor

Drainage

Schedules

• Dredging Program

• Backflow

Investigations

• FloodSmart Assets

• Flood Awareness

Maps

• FloodWise Property

Report

• Brisbane Ready for

Summer Campaign

• Flood Resilient

Homes Program

• Disaster

Management Plan

• Flood Information

Centre

• Early Warning

Creek Flood Alert

Service

• Brisbane River

Flood Forecast

System

Avoid the Risk Control the Risk Accept & Manage the Risk

Flood sensitive

future development

Actively reducing

flood risk

Reducing the

impact of flooding

Land Use

Planning and

Building and

Development

Flood

Mitigation

Work

Flood

Awareness,

Education &

Adaptation

Disaster

Response

Smart Planning and Building

Matching Development with Risk

Brisbane River flood

planning area sub-

categories

Overland flood planning area

sub-category

Creek/waterway flood

planning area sub-

categories

Examples of flood overlay mapping

Resilient dwellings Upstairs areas above flood

level

Resilient building materials

used e.g.:

Flood resistant

render over

masonry block

walls

Flood proof joinery

Hard wood timbers

Water resistant

flooring

Ground floor

rooms not used

as habitable

rooms

Well Maintained & Improved

Structural Assets• Historical focus of flood

management

• Significant investment in the 1980’s

following 1974 flood

Stormwater Relief Drainage

• Asset Value of $2.9 billion

• 2,700km of pipes/culverts

Investment in Backflow

Prevention Devices

Well Maintained

& Improved Structural

Assets

New generation ferry terminals

– Brisbane River

Detachable gangway

• Detach at shore end

• Rise and fall with flood

waters

• Swings behind pontoon

to avoid debris

Hull shaped base/pontoon

Single pier

• 11 metres high

• Capacity to deflect heavy

objects

• Avoids impact on pontoon in

flood event

Voluntary Home Purchase Scheme

• Voluntary purchase of homes

affected by a 50% annual chance

creek flood event and overland

flow

• 112 properties purchased for over

$58.4m million

• Previously 30% take up – post

flood 100%

Well Maintained & Improved

Structural Assets

Flood Resilient Homes Program

FloodWise Home Service

Resident’s Report

A free, tailored property report

providing flood resilience

information and

recommendations for the

property.

FloodWise Resilience Incentive

Scheme –

In eligible cases, providing

financial assistance for property

modifications.

FloodWise Home Service

A free in-home assessment to

determine the property’s flood

resilience.

World Class Response & Recovery

24/7 monitoring

and reporting

systems

World Class Response & Recovery

• Co-ordinated approach

• Working together with

external partners

Educated & Resilient Community

• Interactive Flood Awareness Map

• Comprehensive flood preparedness

guides to residents and businesses

• Simple & accessible, fit for purpose

Educated & Resilient Community

Property specific flood reports

Mobile apps

Opportunities

• Use of forecast radar for real-

time modelling

• Harness the social media for

data gathering

• Drones for flood surveys

• Use 3D scanning data from

autonomous vehicles

Opportunities

Conclusions

• Snapshot of resilience in a Brisbane context

• Flood experience and resulting Government lead response –

progressing a community towards resilience

Thank you!