Ipswich Integrated Catchment Plan will help prepare region for floods of future
08 January 2021
As Ipswich prepares to mark the 10th anniversary of the worst flood in the region’s history, Ipswich City Council has received the outcomes of a major study and community consultation which will help us prepare for and manage floods of the future.
The Ipswich Integrated Catchment Plan is the most detailed and comprehensive study ever undertaken by council to make sure the community is ready, informed and resilient ahead of the next flood event.
Ipswich residents were given the opportunity to provide feedback to council and the input was incredibly valuable.
The information is now with 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 flood-proof the city for the future.
“Parts of the city sit within a floodplain and it is a reality of life in Ipswich that one day there will be another flood,” Mayor 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.
“The feedback from the community is of enormous value, from people who live in flood prone areas to those observing natural disasters. Their experiences from 2011 have provided valuable details for council.
“The community input has been combined with extensive technical work to develop the plan, which will chart the way forward for the whole city. These actions will be important for the whole community going forward.”
The Ipswich Integrated Catchment Plan fulfils a key recommendation from the Queensland Flood Commission of Inquiry. It also builds on important regional flood studies completed in collaboration with State Government and local councils.
The plan goes above and beyond the Commission’s recommendation, by adopting an approach that integrates flood risk mitigation with other elements of catchment management such as water quality and biodiversity.
“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 flood-proof 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. Each is connected and each addresses a different aspect of floodplain management.
For further information on council managing future floods, go to Shape Your Ipswich