A decade on: Flood study delivered to council
THE results of a major study into the 2011 floods have been handed to Ipswich City Council a decade on from the disaster.
The Ipswich Integrated Catchment Plan sought public consultation before coming up with recommendations to help the city deal with future floods on a similar scale.
The information is with the council ahead of councillors being given the chance to review the study in early 2021 with a view to adopting it.
Mayor Teresa Harding said it was an important step and would play a crucial part in helping floodproof the city.
“Parts of the city sit within a flood plain and it is a reality of life in Ipswich that one day there will be another flood,” Cr Harding said.
“So it made sense for us to research the past to give us an insight into the future.
“This plan is a massive body of work and will shape council’s actions and future investment in everything from land use planning to new infrastructure, through to community awareness and waterway health.”
READ MORE: The day firefighters faced a wall of water
READ MORE: Ipswich landmarks forever changed by disaster
Cr Harding said the community input into the study was of great importance, adding in valuable details to complement extensive technical work behind the plan.
The development of a catchment plan was one of the key recommendations from the Queensland Flood Commission of Inquiry.
Cr Harding said the plan also integrates water quality and diversity with flood risk mitigation.
“We can’t understate the significance of this piece of work, the community input, and its importance to the city to help us deal with flood events of the future,” she said.
“We have already put many measures in place since 2011 to help floodproof parts of the city and we will continue to work towards countering whatever weather comes our way again.”
The Ipswich Integrated Catchment Plan is based on six chapters of work, including: land use and planning; physical mitigation community awareness and resilience; emergency management; property specific actions; current and future flood risk.
