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Flood Impact Emerald District

This talk discusses the impact of the 2008 floods in Emerald District, including key streams, response measures, lessons learned, and recovery efforts. It highlights the tangible and intangible impacts on various sectors such as transport, housing, agriculture, and mining. The talk also addresses key issues such as flood warning and communications, quantifying damage, and coordination of resources. The presentation concludes with positive outcomes and ongoing commitments for future flood preparedness.

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Flood Impact Emerald District

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  1. Flood ImpactEmerald District Fitzroy Flood Forum, Wednesday 6 August 2008 Bill Wilkinson Environmental Recovery Program Leader Seconded from Natural Resources and Water

  2. About this talk • The Event • Key Streams that Flooded • Impact • Response • Key Issues • Lessons Learned

  3. Before the Event • Recovering from citrus canker • Mini tornado Sept 07 • Last flood of any consequence • Policeman’s Creek - Rubyvale 2004 • Nogoa River - Emerald 1990 • Fairbairn dam 36% capacity.

  4. Then the Rain • Very heavy rainfall 16th to 20th January. • Headwaters of creeks along Drummond. • 700mm at Bogantungan (>1:2000 ARI) • 650mm at Jo Jo Station • 520mm at Anakie (1:500-1000 ARI) • 500 mm at Peakvale (1:2000 ARI) (Note: These are rainfall probabilities - not flood return frequencies) • Rain amount and intensity decreased going east, north east and south east.

  5. Key Streams • Theresa / Carbine • Retreat / Centre • Blackboy / Woodbine • Medway / Ducabrook • Echo / Joe Joe

  6. Sapphire Flood affects large area .. Central Highlands Regional Council Source: Dartmouth University, NRW and CHRC mapping

  7. Flood Peaks 2:00am 18-01-08 A subsection of the Nogoa Catchment .. 3:00am 18-01-08 19-01-08 0:00am 19-01-08 1:00am 18-01-08 3:00am 18-01-08 11:00pm 22-01-08 11:00pm 17-01-08 4:00pm 22-01-08

  8. Inundation • 300,000ha - Belyando / Suttor • 270,000ha - Nogoa / Comet • Fairbairn Dam • Reached 4.4m over spillway, 158.3% capacity • Peak inflow into dam 6200 m3sec – total inflow 2,388,860 ML • Peak outflow 2990 m3sec – total outflow 1,555,960 ML • The rate and rise of creeks took many people by surprise.

  9. Relativity to Previous Events Nogoa River(Vince Lester Bridge) 1950 15.7m 1956 14.63m 1963 13.41m 1978 12.97m 1983 12.00m 1990 12.15m Jan 200815.36m Theresa Creek(Gregory Highway) • 11.02m Jan 2008 10.82m Gemfields Retreat Creek - ???? No hard data. Policemans Creek - Smaller then 2004 event Fairbairn Dam completed 1972

  10. Impacts • Direct and indirect • Tangible and intangible • Some areas inundated for weeks • Others less then 24 hours • Recovery is a long process

  11. Transport .. Gregory Highway Grasstree Creek

  12. Homes..

  13. Retail ..

  14. Cropping Spring Sorghum Before Spring Sorghum After

  15. Grazing

  16. Mining / Industrial ..

  17. Sport & Rec Golf became Mini Golf - 1 hole, plenty of water traps Cricket Grounds Became Ski Grounds Managing Sightseers became a Full Time Job

  18. Impacts • 3,160 residents registered for evacuation. • 166 homes, 73 units and 10 uncompleted buildings seriously damaged. • 80 homes with minor water damage. • Damage to 10 industrial sheds, 1 shopping centre, 1 day care centre,1 big box retail and 1 not-for-profit agency. • Increase in Ross River Fever and Barmah virus

  19. Impacts Local Business: • Cleanup and repairs, Re-establishment, Relocation • Depleted, Stressed, Tired workforce • 30-70% downturn in turnover • Transport operators severely constrained by road restrictions • Smaller communities – buy out of food and fuel

  20. Impacts Irrigation • 6 properties - total damage >$1million • 10 properties between $250K and $1 million Grazing • Generally 20 – 40km of major fence repair • Road and water storage repairs • Stock displacement and loss (high in Belyando) • Pasture death and weed incursion.

  21. Impacts Coal Mining Sector • Roughly, we estimate the industry lost between $1.5-2 billion worth of production as a consequence of heavy rainfall and flooding that extended from Sonoma (Collinsville in the north) to Jeebroopilly (near Amberley). Qld Resources Council

  22. Pasture, Weeds .. • Up to 95% buffel death – if inundated >7 days • Yield decline - 2000kg to 300kgha • Slow recruitment of desirable species • Incursion of Parthenium, Nogoora Burr, Parkinsonia, Harissia Cactus…Hymanachne?? • Native grasses on lighter country OK 8-2-08 18-4-08

  23. Response • Shire Council established theCentral Highlands Community Recovery Group(see Kerry’s talk) • Approach very successful, a good model • High level of co-operation between Agencies, Industry, Private Sector and Community • Dedicated Recovery Team Economic recovery Infrastructure recovery Environmental recovery Social recovery

  24. Key Issues • Flood warning and communications. • Quantifying damage & recovery needs accurately. • Measuring flood behaviour, timing and water levels. • Coordination of aerial / imagery capture. • Emergency rescue resources. • Insurance and building repair timeframes. • Roads and transport. The flood was big – affected a large area, significant cost to many individuals / businesses

  25. Some Positive Outcomes • Flood mapping and review of modelling • Review of flood warning instruments & communications • Radar station • Community engagement and feedback process • Increase in SES volunteer numbers • Ongoing commitment by Council, Agencies and sectors to complete tasks and tools that will assist future flood preparedness

  26. Flood Inundation Mapping • Detailed inundation maps • Fairbairn Dam to Emerald township • High Tide Line Only – approx 350km • Nogoa Floodplain • Nogoa at Rutland • Retreat Creek at Sapphire • Portion of Policeman’s Creek • Other streams where not done becauseof time and previous floods were larger • A number of high water elevations in AHDm • Nogoa Floodplain – Dam to Comet • Around Sapphire • Stream cross sectionsand gradients in critical areas • All this data did not exist before. • It has been provided to modellers.

  27. Not All Under Water At Same Time • The maps do not represent an instantaneous point in time. • The peak water level changes, as water moves down the catchment. • Each map represents the highest flood points that occurred over the duration of the whole event.

  28. Some Lessons • Many of us live on the floodplain – we have ‘forgotten’ flood cycles given the last 15-20 years of drought cycles. • Integrity of civil infrastructure – levees, design and construction standards. • Catchment flood prediction models were very close to what occurred. Communications need attention. • Need to improve some gauging station gaps, communications and warnings out, and business and community preparedness.

  29. Lessons Learned ctd • Maps, data and disaster management tools be exchanged before next flood with emergency response groups. • State / local government standardise a radio TV tune like the Cyclone warning – for on the hour , every hour • Responsibility for flood warning and response, can’t rest with one or two organisations - requires broader partnerships, commitment and sharing skills and knowledge, established upfront. • Central Highlands Regional Council approach is an example of how things can and should work.

  30. Maybe Flood cycle has returned.. 15.36m (Jan 2008) 15.78m (Nov 1950) 12.97m (Feb 1978) 13.0m (Feb 1984) Often have repeat floods in the same period eg. 1950, 1955, 1956, 1963

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