Events

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Time: 8.30am for a 9.00am start (concluding with lunch from 12.30pm)

As part of any development approval, local governments request developers to meet stringent stormwater quality requirements before allowing stormwater to discharge to local receiving waterways or adjoining public stormwater infrastructure. For over a decade now, these requirements have been met by use of various types of proprietary and non-proprietary stormwater treatment devices or systems, including Gross Pollutant Traps, Oil and Silt Arresters, Sediment Fore-Bays, Trash Racks, Litter Baskets, Sediment Ponds, Swales and Bio-Retention Systems, etc. All of these systems need maintenance in order to consistently meet the quality requirements of their design. When reflecting on our efforts in stormwater quality improvement over the last decade, a number of important questions arise, including:

• Are these systems, both public and privately owned, being maintained according to manufacturer specifications and/or design guidelines?
• Who is responsible for maintaining these systems? How is local government responsible for publicly owned assets? What obligations do private asset owners have to maintain these assets?
• What regulatory or incentive frameworks are currently in place to ensure these assets are maintained? What regulatory or incentive frameworks could be considered in the future?
• How does local government keep a track of these assets? Do they know where they are located? How much data or information do they have?
• How do they use this data or information? How do they store it? Who is responsible for it?
• To what extent are systems owned by private entities, other than local governments, being maintained?

Stormwater Queensland is hosting a forum to assist in understanding the management situation for public and privately owned systems and to find answers to the above. The event is recommended for those involved in urban stormwater planning, policy or development, asset management and maintenance. An expert panel from a broad cross section of the industry is being convened for this event to provide different perspectives on this topic.

An expert panel from a broad cross section of the industry has been convened for this event to provide different perspectives on this topic including;

• Claire McAsh – Senior Environmental Engineer, City of Gold Coast
• Russell Cadman – WSUD Compliance Officer, Blacktown City Council, NSW
• Aaron Marmara – Operations Supervisor, Cleanaway
• Mark Bibby – General Manager, Regen Australia
• Jack Mullaly – Crazed Founder, Ideanthro

There are some fantastic examples from the UK and other parts of the world that use a naturalistic approach to floodplain management. The question is, however, can these types of techniques be practically applied in SEQ? Given that the local climate and other components are vastly different to these areas, will these approaches be feasible and if so to what degree and how would they be best used?

Recent discussions within some organisations have pinned hopes on naturalistic floodplain management as “the answer” to several common issues, which makes it well worth considering. However, there are unresolved issues regarding the importance of revegetation weighed against the potential for increased flood levels upstream (and potential decreased flood levels downstream) also the quantification measurement and modelling of such approaches, climate, storage, practicality as well as the cost of implementation.

Key items that will be discussed include:

• Applying Natural Floodplain Management Techniques in Queensland. What is the likelihood for success?
• Lessons learned from the UK on Natural Floodplain Management. Application of natural techniques should as floodplain reengagement, revegetation, infiltration and temporary storage through leaky weirs etc.
• Discussion surrounding the future Bremer River Catchment Study and the opportunities for integrated water approaches
• Application of revegetation etc in Bremer/Lockyer systems and possible implications for the regional area.
• The power of using flood mitigation as a mechanism to get other benefits (water quality, bank stabilisation, more trees in the ground)
• Hurdles such as property resumptions, increasing flooding upstream whilst benefiting downstream property, lack of legislation power to enable greater community good and working with landowners on useable land.
• Previous case studies and a quick look at what Ipswich is looking at for a natural floodplain management pilot project

Stormwater Queensland is hosting a lunchtime presentation to facilitate a transfer of ideas and assist in understanding a natural floodplain management approach.

Phil Smith (Waterways Health Officer) and Adam Berry (Floodplain Management Engineer) from Ipswich City Council will be co-presenting and will provide time at the end for discussion/questions and answers.