Highlights from the Queensland Floods Commission Final Report:
Flood plain management:
Brisbane, Ipswich and Somerset councils, and the Queensland government, should ensure that a flood study of the Brisbane River catchment is completed as soon as possible.
Councils and the Queensland government should display on their websites all flood mapping they have commissioned or adopted.
Councils that do not currently do so should consider an online database which allows the public to conduct a search on a parcel of land to find development approvals relevant to that parcel of land.
The Queensland government should consider a mechanism allowing prospective purchasers of property to find its flood risk.
Planning:
Councils should consider using a "limited development" zone in planning schemes for areas that have a very high flood risk. This would impose "severe restrictions on the ability of the land to be developed for urban purposes".
A loophole in state planning policy that allows developments to proceed even if they are not compatible with the flood risk should be tightened.
Essential Services:
Councils should educate property owners in areas identified as being at risk of backflow flooding.
Electricity distributors should consider installing connection points for generators to provide electricity supply to non-flooded areas that have had their supply cut during floods.
Land buy-backs and swaps:
Councils should consider implementing a property buy-back program in areas that are particularly vulnerable to regular flooding with help from the state and federal governments.
Insurance:
Letters notifying policy-holders that their claims have been denied should, at a minimum, state the information upon which the insurer has relied in making the decision.
Mining:
Mine operators should obtain all public seasonal forecasts issued by the Bureau of Meteorology relevant to the regions in which their operations are located.
Emergency response:
Emergency Management Queensland should simplify the process by which SES members gain recognition for prior qualifications so that unnecessary duplication of training can be avoided.
The operation of Wivenhoe and Somerset dams:
The Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC) should investigate the conduct of flood engineers John Tibaldi, Robert Ayre and Terry Malone.
Seqwater should ensure that proper support and oversight mechanisms are put in place around both the substantive and procedural aspects of drafting flood event reports.
Other issues relating to the dams:
Seqwater should, in creating the new Wivenhoe and North Pine flood mitigation manuals, comprehensively consider the amount of discretion open to the flood engineers, among other issues.
www.BrisbaneTimes.com.au
16.3.12
