After spending six months at the Queensland Floods Commission of Inquiry, McCullough Robertson lawyer, Jaclyn Rolfe believes a national sharing of flood hazard data is vitally important.
By Jaclyn Rolfe
The paralysing effect of the breakdown in supply of essential services was evident in many parts of Queensland during the 2010–11 floods.
The paralysing effect of the breakdown in supply of essential services was evident in many parts of Queensland during the 2010–11 floods.
Not least was the disruption to Brisbane’s CBD, nestled in a bend of the Brisbane River. Due to flooding of high-rise basements, electrical and telecommunication facilities broke down, forcing many businesses to close or relocate until these services were back up and running. The CBD, usually a bustling economic hub, became a congregation of emergency and repair workers and intrigued onlookers.
After the Flood Commission report was released, Building Codes Queensland introduced a mandatory requirement for utilities such as lift motors, electrical switchboards, backup power supplies and hot water systems to be located above designated flood levels. These requirements were introduced through mandatory part 3.5 of the Queensland Development Code – ‘Construction of Buildings in Flood Hazard Areas’. The new part also introduces requirements for building foundations, water-resistant materials and the inclusion of rescue points on buildings in flood hazard areas.
While the new Queensland regulations introduce important considerations for building in flood-affected areas, they are only triggered if the relevant local authority has adopted a flood map detailing enough information to identify flood heights. This amendment was made in response to concerns voiced by the Flood Commission that a development would become economically unviable if a flood study had to be commissioned for an individual site.
The Queensland requirements stem from the Australian Building Code Board’s 2012 Standard with the same name – ‘Construction of Buildings in Flood Hazard Areas’. The national standard has been introduced into the National Construction Code 2013, with the main aim to protect the lives of building occupants during flood events.
In comparison to the Queensland standard, the application of the national standard is not dependent on the local authority having identified flood heights for the relevant area. South Australia has recognised the importance of access to up-to-date and accurate flood information, deferring the application of the new national flood requirements until further investigations have been carried out.
Funding is a major barrier for many authorities to instigate flood studies, but the upfront cost needs to be weighed against the potential for multi-billion-dollar reconstruction costs following another flood event.
The Flood Commission also supported the sharing of flood data and flood information to a central repository that could be accessed by local, state and Commonwealth governments. The Queensland Government is currently working with the Commonwealth on the development of a new national flood risk information portal, which will do just that. Geoscience Australia will facilitate the portal and the flood information will be available via its website.
The take-up of further flood studies and sharing this information through mediums such as the national flood risk information portal is vital to ensuring the devastating loss of life and property experienced in 2010–11 is not repeated.
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