Sustainability Report 2006/07Flood management and drainage
This year we released the Port Phillip and Westernport Region Flood Management and Drainage Strategy, and began working with councils, emergency service organisations researchers and the community to implement key actions.
A central part of the discussion paper was the introduction of debate about tolerable and intolerable flood risks, which seeks to help the community understand that like bushfire, flooding cannot be prevented in all instances, and that awareness and preparation are effective ways to reduce risks.
For Melbourne, predicted climate change effects include increases in temperature, reduced annual rainfall and more intense storm events rather than normal winter and spring rain, resulting in sudden large volumes of run-off and increased risk of flash flooding.
A pilot flood education and awareness program has begun in the City of Maroondah, and the cities of Manningham and Darebin have started work on pilot flood management plans with support from Melbourne Water and the State Emergency Service.
We are also working with the Victoria State Emergency Service to develop a community education and awareness program in the Port Phillip and Westernport Region. The program will build on existing FloodSmart and StormSmart programs recently developed in other Victorian regional centres.
A research agreement with RMIT University will improve our understanding of social or intangible impacts of flooding on the community, and we have developed a flood risk assessment framework with input from the Department of Sustainability and Environment, Department of Human Services, Victoria State Emergency Service, Insurance Council of Australia, RMIT, and other stakeholders.
For the first time we have developed a ‘real time’ Yarra River flood forecasting model covering the entire catchment, and we continued our relationship with VicRoads to ensure major roadworks such as Eastlink deliver flood protection benefits.