Projects
Climate Resilience was engaged by the Bureau of Meteorology to provide advice and strategic input to the Bureau expert team tasked with putting together a business case for a new flood warning system for South East Queensland.
Climate Resilience put together the system architecture, reviewed current systems from the USA, Japan, Taiwan, and the UK, for best fit with Australian systems and culture, and collaborated to deliver a project roadmap and business case for SEQ that could also form a future framework for all Australian States and key agencies, such as NEMA.
The project was delivered in late 2023 and provides for a modular, integrated approach for implementing extent based warning, and event likelihood information for two separate audiences – emergency managers, and the general public. This will represent a seismic shift in flood warning in Australia, a system largely unchanged from federation.
The plan objective is to ensure those impacted by a potential flood receive an SMS warning and that this would be seamless between flash and riverine flood drivers, providing unambiguous clarity.
The Resilient Home Fund (RHF) was a 2022 initiative by the Queensland Government in response to the devastating floods of the 2021-22 wet season. 50% of the $700 million budget was set aside for voluntary home buy backs (VHBB); the remainder to be administered for retrofitting or raising to improve the resilience of homes.
James has provided integrated support for the Queensland Reconstruction Authority for the VHBB criteria development, eligibility assessments, council engagement, appeals assessments and project governance.
Over 6000 registrations of interest have been assessed against LGA and program criteria, with only around 10% proceeding for VHBB. The program has created international interest with New Zealand, Cambodia and Canada seeking briefings from the QRA.
Climate Resilience was engaged by RedFox Advisory to provide detailed wet weather risk for contract contingency and project delivery planning for the new Mackenzie River crossing in Central Queensland.
The information was used to demonstrate the need for an accelerated decision on award and on program, to ensure completion prior to the onset of the 2023-24 wet season.
In addition, a hydrological assessment included estimation of a low flow rating curve from height only data, for reconstruction of historical frequency at key levels across the site. Prior studies hadn’t included several occasions where backwater flow from the Dawson River could inundate the site.
The project was opened to the public on 19 November 2023 with no wet weather, or river flow allowance exceedance.
