The 2008 Floods in Queensland: A Case Study of Vulnerability,

Resilience and Adaptive CapacityArmando Apan, Diane U. Keogh, David King, Melanie

Thomas, Shahbaz Mushtaq, Stephen Hinkler, Peter Baddiley

Wave of floods sweeps the globe

Vaal dam overflows - Johannesburg, South AfricaSource: Smith (2011)

Toowoomba, Queensland flash floodsSource: Flickr (Timothy 2011)

Brisbane River during the Jan floods in Australia

Source: NASA Earth Observatory 2011

Brazil floods & landslidesSource: ABC News (2011)

Pakistan FloodsSource: New York

Times (2010)

The 2008 Floods in Queensland – Historic Case Studies: Mackay and Charleville

Mackay – coastal city Charleville – rural town

A Case Study of Vulnerability, Resilience and Adaptive Capacity:

Theoretical Framework

IPCC Report - Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and

Vulnerability

Chapter 7: Industry, settlement and society

“Climate-change vulnerabilities of industry, settlement and society are mainly related to extreme weather events rather than to gradual climate change (very high confidence).”

Flood Types

1. Flash Flooding caused by rainfall – for example associated with cyclones

2. Riverine / Inland Flooding – often floodplains

3. Sea Level Rise / Storm Surge - mainly coastal areas

Climate change and flood impacts on urban planning

Queensland coastline has 35,900 – 56,900 residential buildings located within the shoreline:

Horizontal - 3 km Vertical – 6 metresSea level rise of 1.1 m Residential value of

$10.5 - $16 billion at risk

Resilience to climate change –planning legislation and policy

Australian State Legislation Planning Policy- Flood Mitigation

Coastal Policy- Climate Change impacts (storm surge)

Victoria Planning and Environment Act 1987

State Planning Policy Framework Coastal Areas Policy (Clause 15: 08-2)

Victorian Coastal Strategy 2008

NSW Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979

Coastal Protection and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2010

State Environmental Planning Policy

Draft NSW Coastal Planning Guideline: Adapting to Sea Level Rise

Queensland Sustainable Planning Act 2009

State Planning Policy 1/03: Mitigating the Adverse Impacts of Flood, Bushfire and Landslide

Draft Queensland Coastal Plan – Draft Guideline Coastal Hazards

Flood Mitigation in Urban Planning – the Netherlands

Amsterdam is a coastal floodplain regulated by a system of dykes.

Maintenance fee added to residents water bill.

Flood Mitigation in Urban Planning - Australia

Australia’s Regional Flood Mitigation Program (1999) National Disaster Mitigation Program

$75 million to 270 projects:- construction of levees- house raising- flood proofing buildings- bypass floodways- flood control dams- retarding basins- channel improvements- flood warning systems- activities to raise community awareness.

Emergency Management Governance in Australia

The 2008 Floods in Queensland – Historic Case Studies: Mackay and Charleville

North Mackay Source: GHD (2009)

Study Aims - Hypotheses

Case studies: Charleville & Mackay - Average Annual Rainfall

Mackay – a wealthy coastal city

Households (%) with a gross weekly income of $2500 or more according to Statistical Division

Mackay

Charleville

Mackay 2008 Flood Disaster Event (flash flood): 15 February 2008

North Mackay catchment Source: RACQ – CQ Rescue - after midday 15 February 2008

Hourly Hyetographs - Mackay ALERT station

Mackay 2008 Flood Disaster Event (flash flood): 15 February 2008

North Mackay catchment Source: RACQ – CQ Rescue - after midday 15 February 2008

History of Charleville floods caused by

flooding of the Warrego River

Part of Warrego River and Charleville, February2008

Charleville Flood Disaster Event (riverine flood):

17 – 20 February 2008Bradleys Gully floods Charleville (Source: BOM 2009)

Charleville Town Map (Source: Murweh Shire Council)

MethodologySample Group Charleville Mackay Total

Households

Number contact 65 400 465

Effective in-scope sample

55 87 142

Response rate 85% 22% 31%

Businesses

Number contacted 15 142 157

Effective in-scope sample

13 47 70

Response rate 87% 33% 44%

Institutions

Number contacted 30 38 68

Effective in-scope sample

23 12 35

Response rate 77% 32% 41%

Results

Hypothesis 1:

1. That those established in areas that are vulnerable to regular flooding, that have greater connections within the community display more resilience in a flood disaster event.

Household hypothesis 1 finding:

Social Networks

Emergency Management Governance in Australia

Hypothesis 2:

That social groups with special needs such as the elderly, are more likely to display non-resilience to a disaster flooding event.

Vulnerability: the elderlyMackay CharlevilleRequired mass

evacuation of nursing homes.

Several elderly admitted to hospital for care.

One death (an elderly man).

Lack of suitable accommodation with the required special facilities for nursing home evacuees.

Distance between towns for resident or patient transport created a barrier.

Limited radio channels for accessing information to provide care (some needing to rely on School of the Air radio channels).

Flood

Contact with floodwater:

Increased exposure to biological risks

(toxins, pathogens, etc.)

Disruption of systems:- food supply

- health - water/sanitation

- Livelihood- Property & assets

Drowning Respiratory

diseaseSkin/eye infections

Water-borne disease

Vector –borne disease(i.e. from

mosquitoes)

Impacts on mental health

Lack of access to treatment

Displacement

Source: Few (2006)

Flood impacts on health

Hypothesis 3:

That those who had applied flood mitigation measures were more resilient to disaster flooding events.

SPP 1/03: Mitigating the adverse impacts of Flood, Bushfire and

LandslideMackay Charleville Mackay City Planning Scheme

2006 contains a ‘Flood & Inundation Management Overlay’ which relates to riverine flooding

Storm surge is covered under the Emergency Action Guide

But - No provisions for flash flooding

Min floor level 300mm above the Defined Flood Event (DFE - 1/100 ARI flood event used)

But - Extensions to dwelling houses permitted if there is 1 “Habitable Room” at least 300mm above the above the DFE.

The Murweh Shire Council has a flood overlay as part of the Town Plan

Industrial area outside flood prone area

New commercial premises in flood area required to have an upstairs area or an Evacuation Management Plan

Habitable dwellings 300mm above last known flood height (1997 used)

But - Unaware that SPP 1/03 is a policy & thought merely a guideline.

Glenella, Mackay

These 2 houses with raised floors were the only 2 not flooded in the entire street

Flood mitigation – raised floor level

Households TownMackay Charleville

Yes 1% 9%No 99% 91%

Businesses TownMackay Charleville

Yes 6% 18%No 94% 82%

Flood mitigation - insurance

Household Insurance

TownMackay Charleville

Yes 68% 32%No 32% 68%

Business Insurance

TownMackay Charleville

Yes 63% 43%No 37% 57%

Flood mitigation – maintained drains and ditches

Households TownMackay Charleville

Yes 72% 74%No 28% 26%

Businesses TownMackay Charleville

Yes 37% 92%No 63% 8%

Flood mitigation – avoided irreplaceable items on ground floor

Households TownMackay Charleville

Yes 44% 52%No 56% 48%

Businesses TownMackay Charleville

Yes 20% 85%No 80% 15%

Hypothesis 4:That those who have more adaptive capacity, move

from areas that are vulnerable to regular flooding, achieving increased resilience.

Plenty of ‘For Sale’ signs visible

North Mackay

Glenella

Relocation within the townHouseholds Town

Mackay Charleville

Not at all 43% 46%

Not much 9% 11%

Neutral 25% 11%

Quite a lot 5% 22%

A great deal 17% 9%

Businesses Town

Mackay Charleville

Not at all 55% 91%

Not much 10% 9%

Neutral 14% 0%

Quite a lot 19% 0%

A great deal 2% 0%

Migration to another townHouseholds Town

Mackay Charleville

Not at all 55% 63%

Not much 15% 15%

Neutral 16% 9%

Quite a lot 4% 6%

A great deal 11% 7%

Businesses Town

Mackay Charleville

Not at all 85% 82%

Not much 7% 0%

Neutral 7% 0%

Quite a lot 0% 9%

A great deal 0% 9%

Summary1. Charleville was found to be a more resilient

community than Mackay with more residents able to return home sooner.

2. Mental vulnerability was found to be a largely unresolved issue resulting from the disaster event in both case studies.

3. Flood mitigation measures such as raising the floor resulted in greater levels of resilience. Insurance coverage prior to the flood was also found to play a critical role in the adaptive capacity to flood disasters.

4. Relocation and migration were options considered by some residents in both towns as a means of adaptive capacity but relocation was not at all considered by businesses in Charleville and migration was not at all considered by businesses in Mackay.

Current state of vulnerability, resilience, adaptive capacity

CharlevilleMackayBradley’s Gulley flooded again in

March 2010 and floodwaters (4.2m) were higher than in the 2008 floods (3.1m).

Ongoing mental health impacts and the Department of Community Safety has reported that the community is not coping at all.

$3 million sought from the Federal government to build an estate outside of the town’s flood zone.

Murweh Shire Council requesting a retarding basin or wall constructed.

There was ongoing evidence of reconstruction in flood affected areas in February 2010.

There are ongoing mental health impacts as a result of the floods.

Residents are relocating as a result of the psychological impacts of the flood.

There were flood alerts associated with Cyclone Ului in March 2010.

Both towns flooded during the recent Queensland disaster floods.

Recommendations

Facilitate community involvement in volunteer organisations to build social capital.

Special Needs Registers to identify vulnerable community members.

Incorporate SPP 1/03 into local government planning schemes.

Ensure that flood damaged houses are reconstructed to comply with the SPP 1/03.

Have Emergency Management Plans that can be implemented by anyone available if key staff are not able to be present.

Applications of Research

Contributing to building more resilient cities to cope with natural hazards and climate change.

This research is an introduction into resilience and adaptive capacity. Rather than looking from a vulnerability perspective of resilience, further detailed research is required on what makes a resilient community from both social and planning perspectives.

Acknowledgements

All the householders, businesses and personnel from institutions in Mackay and Charleville who were so generous with their time and provided us with valuable insights and information on the 2008 floods.

Ernest Dunwoody and David Liddell for data collection Charleville.

Daniel Girling for the processing of data, tables and graphs for the Mackay and combined data.

NCCARF for funding this work.

Key References Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), 2006, Census of Population and Housing [Online].

Canberra. [Accessed]. Attorney-General’s Department (AGD), 2010, Regional Flood Mitigation Program,

<<http://www.ag.gov.au>>, accessed 20 June 2010. Bureau of Meteorology (BOM), 2008, Report on Queensland Floods: February 2008, BOM,

Queensland. Bureau of Meteorology (BOM), 2009, available: www.bom.gov.au [Accessed 6 March

2010]. Department of Climate Change (DOCC), 2009, Climate Change Risk to Australia’s Coasts:

A FIRST PASS NATIONAL ASSESSMENT, Australian Government, Canberra. Few, R., 2006, "Flood Hazards, Vulnerability and Risk Reduction", in Matthies, F. and Few,

R. (ed.) Flood Hazards & Health: Responding to Present and Future Risks, Earthscan, London, London, UK.

GHD, 2009, Goosepond and Vines Creek Flood Study: Final Report, Mackay Regional Council, Mackay.

International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR), 2005, Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015: Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters. World Conference on Disaster Reduction. Kobe, Hyogo, Japan: United Nations.

IPCC 2007. Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. In: M.L. Parry; O.F. Canziani; J.P. Palutikof; P.J. van der Linden and C.E. Hanson, E., Contribution of Working Group II to the Fourth Assessment, (ed.) Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Nelson, D. R., Adger, W.N. and Brown, K., 2007, "Adaptation to Environmental Change: Contributions of a Resilience Framework", Annual Review of Environment and Resources, 32, 395-419.

Questions/CommentsCentre for Disaster Studies, James Cook UniversityWebsite - http://www.jcu.edu.au/cds/

The 2008 Floods in Queensland study:http://www.nccarf.edu.au/node/216

Melanie Thomas• Email : melanie.thomas@jcu.edu.au• Telephone : +61 421 721 689

Assoc. Prof. David King, Director of the Centre for Disaster Studies• Email: david.king@jcu.edu.au• Telephone : +61 (07) 4781 4430