Plan to improve Victoria's flood warning system announced

19 December 2012

The Victorian Government has released an implementation plan to improve flood warning systems across the state.

The plan is part of the Government’s response to the Review of the 2010–11 Flood Warnings and Response lead by Neil Comrie and considers recommendations delivered by the Commonwealth in December 2011.

The plan supports the Victorian Government’s goal to help Victorians prepare for and respond to emergencies like flood events and empower communities to recover quickly.

The four-year implementation plan will help flood planning to be integrated and better aligned with other emergency management planning to ensure better coordination at State, regional and local levels.

It builds on a number of initiatives already in place to strengthen communities against flooding impacts.

Following the 2010/11 floods, the Victorian Government began work on a number of activities consistent with the findings of the Comrie report. These include:

• The development of a web-based information system to ensure quality information is provided to emergency services and communities about flood risk. The tool will use weather forecast models, satellite observations, river gauges and hydrological modelling to improve warnings and emergency response.
• Conducting up to 25 flood risk studies in flood prone communities over four years, with 15 of these studies underway already.
• Upgrading flood warning systems. Initial flood warning upgrades have started in the Wimmera, Glenelg Hopkins and North Central regions, with 38 upgrades completed.
• Improving data collection (including real-time data) and delivery systems. Devices known as portable automated logger systems were activated to relay water levels in Broken Creek in the March 2012 floods.

The Victorian Government recently announced flood studies for a number of at risk Victorian towns to help enhance flood intelligence.

Lessons from the flood studies will feed into the revised Victorian Flood Management Strategy as well as regional strategies, which will enable communities to develop their own tailored flood warning systems.

For more information visit Floodplains.
 

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