From Griffith University
Flood research shows human habits die hard
Climate Change experts examine rebuilding
New research has come up with ways to quickly assess flood damage to houses while also showing most people didn’t intend to make changes to reduce their vulnerability after the 2010-11 floods in Australia.
Two separate reports from the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility released today show how lessons learned from households affected by the 2010-11 Australian floods can minimise damage under current and future climates.
The report Analysis of Damage to Buildings Following the 2010 Eastern Australia Floods evaluated the role of development controls and analysed house damage to inform flood risk estimation. Based on damage to buildings in Brisbane, Ipswich and Grantham, the project developed a model to rapidly assess impacts following a flood, such as estimating building losses and the likely need to relocate people.
Lead author Dr Matthew Mason said “There are new amendments for flood planning coming into force this year within the Building Code of Australia but some of the issues our research identified are excluded.” The new code will not require rebuilt homes to be more resilient to flood and does not address homes built in areas prone to storm surge or flash flooding.
The second report, Impact of the 2010 floods and the factors that inhibit and enable household adaptation strategies is based on surveys and interviews with people directly affected by floods in Brisbane and Emerald in Queensland, and Donald in Victoria.
Lead author Dr Deanne Bird said “There was a lot of frustration over communication.
“After the floods receded, people needed to know what to do, where to get information, how to implement changes to reduce vulnerability, and how to deal with insurance companies.”
Their study shows many residents made general home improvements such as installing their ‘dream’ kitchen rather than concentrating on making their home more resilient to flooding, for example by raising cupboards and air-conditioning units or changing floor coverings.
While most respondents indicated that they were not likely to make any changes to reduce their vulnerability to flood, 55 percent stated that they were likely to, or already had, changed their insurance policy.
Many residents felt they had no options to make changes due to the structural design of their home. In other instances, insurers would only pay to replace like with like.
According to Dr Bird “We saw communities getting on with their lives and largely driving their recovery with stoic endurance. This does not necessarily translate to adaptation to future events but it does reflect strong resilience in the community.”
NCCARF will publish a wide range of peer reviewed reports on Climate Adaptation in Australia leading up to the 2013 National Adaptation Conference, Sydney, 25-27 June.
Full reports available from www.nccarf.edu.au
Mason, M, Phillips, E, Okada, T, O’Brien, J, 2013 Analysis of Damage to Buildings Following the 2010 Eastern Australia Floods. National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility, Gold Coast pp.102. http://www.nccarf.edu.au/publications/building-damage-following-2010-11-floods
Bird, D, King, D, Haynes, K, Box, P, Okada, T, Nairn, K 2013 Impact of the 2010 floods and the factors that inhibit and enable household adaptation strategies National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility, Gold Coast. pp.183. http://www.nccarf.edu.au/publications/floods-household-adaptation-strategies
Media enquiries and interviews with Dr Matthew Mason or Dr Deanne Bird: Brooke Billett, NCCARF Communication Officer: WK: 07 5552 7546 MOB: 0401 259 115 b.billett@griffith.edu.au
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This is exactly the same as those building (and constantly rebuilding) in tornado alley. They KNOW there will be more to come, but after their homes are wiped off the map, they build another just like it.
Either get some cargo containers and bury them to make a house in, or shovel up a whole heap of dirt and make a house in there.
Look at Coober Pedy. They live underground simply due to the heat, but I dare say they’ll have virtually no problems during a tornado.
When it comes to living on a floodplain, either get outta there or build something that’s not vulnerable. Those that fail to heed the past and continue to build traditional homes above ground in tornado areas, or at ground level on flood plains deserve what they get.
In the face of state and local building regulations made by the uneducated and power-hungry, the demise of homes in such areas constructed to satisfy such regulations should place the responsibility squarely on the regulators, period.
New Zealand also has governments of various hues which (when they choose) subscribe to the sea level/global warming scenario. Much of the centre of Christchurch was destroyed by earthquakes, and a re-build is underway. Various new taxes are imposed for carbon-related reasons, but the re-build goes ahead in EXACTLY the same location despite the fact that the CBD of Christchurch is only 6m above sea level, and much of the city is even lower! There is NEVER any reference to the spectres of sea level rise and tsunamis. What does this tell us about government policies? It’s just a tax scam folks! If they don’t get their money out of you this way, they WILL think of another …
Rosco and others,
I will have to disagree.
1. Prior to the 7th Jan 2011 Wivenhoe dam was at full supply level with full flood migitation capacity intact.
2. As soon as levels rose on the 7th, water was released and continued to be released till after the 19 th of January. http://www.previous.seqwater.com.au/public/sites/default/files/userfiles/Factsheet-January_2011_FloodEvent.pdf
3. SEQ water say inflows into Wivenhoe were comparable with what happened in 1893. Without Wivenhoe dam Brisbane’s 2011 flood would have been 2m higher.
4. Some of the flood Brisbane experienced on the 12th & 13th was due to the unrelated Bremer catchment which experienced extreme rain on the 10th of Jan (Grantham Flood). Wivenhoe will not protect Brisbane from the Bremer.
5. The proposed dam on the Mary may have been shelved due to the presence of some rare turtle, but this was really a get out of jail card from the Federal Govt to the State Govt. The Beatie / Bligh Govt were deeply unpopular with residents of the Mary Valley and elsewhere over this proposed dam.
6. I wouldn’t pin any hopes on predicting floods with ENSO, the climate is just too variable in OZ. Take this ENSO neutral summer for instance.
7. If what you say is correct, at the height of the drought Wivenhoe had 175 GL , Somerset would have only added another 190 GL.
Who knows how long the drought could have gone on for, or for that matter the next one. At least SE Queensland now has some security of the water grid, recycled water pipeline and the desalination plant. These will be needed if people continue to shift into the region and want more of the dam storages for flood mitigation.
All correct, dlb from a certain (Alarmist) perspective. ALL the signs were there for 2011 to be wet. We were already having a lot of rain. My Business depends on the weather, so if you can’t remember, I have plenty of records for you – it was a terrible time, for MONTHS leading up to the flood. Patterns were wet weather patterns, and any Objective viewer KNEW it was going to rain – maybe not flood – but many were aware of the risks and were howled down. Remember, Flannery said…
You are correct regarding the Bremer River.
The drought had already finished, so “who knows?” Everyone knew – it was OVER.
But what gets my back up? Your banal regurgitation of Labor Party mantra, claiming that security of water due to grid, recycled pipeline and (God save us) desal are all benefits. Biggest waste of a Billion dollars plus anyone ever dreamt up, and built because Tim Flannery said we would never get rain again.
@Ian L McClean, “it is a domestic concern” That left me absolutely stunned and then I broke out in hysterical laughter please tell your countrymen to keep it that way the rest of the world has bigger problems, and thanks for the laugh I am sure you had one as well
Alas, our politicians have selectively bred for stupidity. Queensland gets floods. Build in a flood prone region and sooner or later, you will cop a flood. Mind you, our Labor government needs idiots to be able to gain power. Our Prime Minister on BOTH flood events promised an insulting 1 million dollars for flood relief. Pathetic. Meanwhile, she gives billions in overseas aid and to illegal immigrants(to buy their votes.) Instead of minding her Ps and Qs, our PM should learn how to watch her Bs and Ms.
We see it again and again in Australia … governments allowing flood prone areas to be developed. Wherever you go in Australia, its the same… e.g. from Darwin to Katherine…. Alice Springs to Brisbane… it’s the ultimate in planning stupidity!
Stephen Brown says:
February 14, 2013 at 12:54 pm
The birds are known for their very accurate prediction of the expected height of the water by the height above the river they build their nests.
Years ago I worked in south Sudan, where the savannah is so flat that it has less than a meter of relief over 40 kilometers. When the Monsoon comes in the summer months, the area is inundated a foot deep for as far as the eye can see. The Dinka locals reminded us that the white egret was the harbinger of this period, and they accumulate around slightly lower areas in anticipation of the first rain. This included some of the pits we had dug to harvest fill for roadbuilding. When I mentioned this to my client back in Calgary, they snorted contemptuously that rainy season was still a month away, and not to worry. I snorted back, the next day when all the pits were full of water, and the day after when every land-dwelling creature like snakes and bugs and so on had found refuge on the only spot of dry land for miles, the drilling location. Very amusing to look out the window at ten different species of praying mantis staring in, while the ground seethed with snakes at night. And the Zarzu (the weaverbirds) no longer roosted on the plain at night, instead swirling around in impossible synchronized flying displays, literally sucking up every bug that could still fly overhead.
…or like the Inuit elders who snort at weepy polar-bear huggers that just don’t get it…
…or the average dolt who thinks “floodplain” means “golf course” or the like…
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