The Impacts of Flooding in Queensland The State Government s Response and Recovery EIANZ SEQ Naturally Hazardous Queensland Forum Thursday 9 May 2013 Graeme Milligan, General Manager Environmental Liaison Queensland Reconstruction Authority To ensure the effective and efficient recovery of Queensland so that Queensland and Queenslanders emerge stronger and more resilient. We achieve this by focussing on how we respond, recover and prepare for natural disasters. These are lessons that can ensure positive change and resilient communities. 1
Queensland s Recent Disasters 2009 2013 Timeline Scale of Impact 2010/11 events 2011/12 events 2013 events LGAs disaster activated 73 65 54 Residential properties affected 136,000 1,400 2,913 State road network affected (km) 20,610 10,890 5,845 State rail network affected (km) 4,748 4,180 2,800 Schools affected 411 7 339 Other government buildings affected 4,381 135 Homes & businesses without power 480,000 9,000 390,000 National parks affected 162 22 255 Insurance claims (Source: ICA 8 February 2013) 131,935 6,408 53,711 2
The cost is one thing but the scale is another.. Source: The Year that Shook the Rich: A review of natural disaster in 2011. The Brookings Institution London School of Economics Project on Internal Displacement. Statistics Queensland Population 4,516,200 (ABS :2011) Queensland Area 1,852,642 km2 5 Disaster Events 6 9 7 2 1 10 8 3 4 1. Dec 2010 Rainfall & SE/W flooding 2. Dec 2010 Tropical Cyclone Tasha 3. Jan 2011 Flash flooding Twba/Lock Vall 4. Jan 2011 Brisbane/Ipswich flooding 5. Jan/Feb TC s Anthony & Yasi 6. Fb2011 Feb Monsoonal lflooding 7. Apr 2011 Maranoa flooding 8. Feb 2012 South West flooding 9. Mar 2012 Townsville storm 10. Jan 2013 TC Oswald & flooding 3
2009 2013 NDRRA Activations Queensland Reconstruction Framework FLOOD RECOVERY GROUPS 1. Human and Social 2. Economic 3. Building Recovery 4. Roads and Transport 5. Environment 4
Flood Recovery Groups Functional Recovery Groups (State level) are set up to manage and coordinate recovery initiatives across impacted regions Human and Social Economic Building Recovery Roads and Transport Coordinates the delivery of human and social recovery activities. Activities include the provision of financial assistance and personal support services for individuals, families and communities. Coordinates the delivery of economic recovery activities. Activities such as advice on the economic impacts of current disaster events and provides information on the needs of local government and industry in responding to the events and getting the economy back to full production. Coordinates the information exchange, issues identification and resolution between government agencies, building industry and insurance providers to ensure the prioritised use of available resources. Coordinates the delivery of road and transport recovery activities. Activities such as providing input into the development of the Roads and Transport Recovery Program. Environment Coordinates the planning and implementation of environment recovery activities. Environmental Recovery Group Provide advice on the measures required to achieve environmental recovery Monitor and provide advice on currentand potential environmental and cultural heritage issues Facilitates information to maximise allocation of resources towards recovery Focus on strategies to reduce future impacts on the natural environment, in both urban and rural landscapes, focusing on long term resilience and sustainability Based on Environmental line of reconstruction sub committee in Operation Queenslander 2011 2013 5
Betterment Betterment of essential public asset was introduced to NDRRA in 2007 The betterment provision allows State and Territory Governments to restore or replace essential public assets to a more disaster resilient standard than their pre disaster standard Aims to increase resilience of assets, reduce future expenditure on asset restoration and improve asset utility during and after a natural disaster Build Back Better Road in Somerset Regional Council Before During After Response Planning for stronger, more resilient communities and landscapes Responding to risk requires a multifacet approach an integrated approach across a range of disciplines This approach can be used for floodplain management, community contingency planning and for environmental protection Aspect may require comprehensive community engagement which will be valuable to achieving resilience 6
Completion Statistics (to March 2013) TMR plans to reconstruct 8,545km of roads damaged as a result of 2010, 2011, 2012 natural disasters Of these roads, 3,780km have been reconstructed representing 44% of the total km to be reconstructed, 2,238km are in delivery and 2,527km with work yet to commence The costs to reconstruction works caused by TC Oswald and other 2013 events are under assessment 3,100 km (43%) of Queensland Rail lines were closed due to TC Oswald event of which 95% were recovered by 4 March 2013 Progress of LGAs and DTMR reconstruction work by region FNQ NQ CQ SQ SEQ Works in progress of delivered $818.6m $859.8m $1,926.9m $1,492.4m $1,027.2m Works in Market $350.2m $333.2m $1,015.5m $946.4m $390.0m Works under assessment $80.9m $242.9m $169.4m $288.1m $237.2m The Way Forward... Now is the time to break the mould change will be generational Be ready and prepared to make a difference There is no one size fits all approach to disaster resilience Engagement is a must Focus on outcomes not process Environmental practitioners need to proactively engage in disaster resilience initiatives Land use planning integrated with other adaptive mitigation measures is a key aspect of long term resilience against flooding Embrace and invest in technology and innovation continuous improvement of data quality and accessibility Strive for excellence and practicality Good governance and co operation is needed for complex integrated approaches Healthy landscapes are resilient landscapes and can reduce the impact of floods There s still plenty of work to be done, but we are on our way to a stronger more resilient Queensland 7