Council to develop flood strategy

Published on 08 March 2024

The City of Launceston will establish a comprehensive flood mitigation strategy in response to a notice of motion that received the unanimous support of Councillors at this week's Council meeting.

Councillors unanimously voted to develop a comprehensive flood mitigation strategy aimed at recognising the existential risks associated with major floods and addressing current and future risks associated with flooding in the municipality.

City of Launceston Mayor Matthew Garwood said the first step would see the development of a detailed project plan for implementation, which would be delivered to the Council by September.

"This in depth study will set out how we can deliver a comprehensive Flood Mitigation Report using all available research, modelling, economic analysis and historic data to provide an assessment of potential flood mitigation," Mayor Garwood said.

"The Report will identify and evaluate flood mitigation measures, including large scale infrastructure projects such as levees and barrages, natural solutions such as wetland restoration and riparian buffers, and policy measures such as zoning changes and building codes."

The notice of motion was brought by Councillor Alex Britton. The 2023 Launceston Council recovery exercise, developed in conjunction with Australian Institute for Disaster Relief, outlined the damage a 1/500-year annual exceedance probability (AEP) flood event would cause.

A significant event such as this would take the region up to 10 years to recover.

The 2018 BMT report shows that a 1/200 AEP flood event will overtop the current height of the Levees. "Climate change is increasing the severity of flood events, posing an ongoing risk to the safety, wellbeing and successful enterprise of our residents," Mayor Garwood said.

"We understand that proactive flood mitigation measures are essential to reducing the vulnerability of our community to future flood risks, protecting property, reducing economic loss, and ensuring the sustainable development of our region."