Flood research underway in Launceston

New research by the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC will strengthen flood mitigation in Launceston following the floods in the city in June this year.

A team of Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC researchers from Geoscience Australia, along with the Tasmanian Government and the City of Launceston, are reviewing the costs and benefits of mitigation work that were completed prior to the floods. With flood mitigation an expensive exercise, this important work will highlight the benefits of the mitigation (flood levees) in terms of likely damage had the levees not been in place. The research will also assess the effectiveness of further investment in mitigation works to reduce the residual flood risk.

Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC CEO Dr Richard Thornton said the research will show what buildings would have been inundated if mitigation works had not occurred and the comparative economic losses associated with these different building types.

“Not only will this research quantify the benefits of the flood mitigation measures put in place, it will also show the likely impacts of floods from a range of severities and the cost of building repairs,” he said.

This project will build on existing Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC work on mitigating flood-prone buildings, and is expected to be completed in autumn 2017. End-user partners include the Tasmanian Department of Premier and Cabinet, Tasmania State Emergency Service, Launceston City Council, Northern Midlands Council and Launceston Flood Authority.