The Flood Report recommendations

Recommendations 

Chapter 2 Dams

 

2.1 Seqwater should review all arrangements for the operation of the dams during flood events for the entire wet season by 30 September each year, and ensure that all parties are adequately prepared, in the process ensuring that:

• Seqwater can comply with every aspect of the Wivenhoe and North Pine manuals

• the flood operations centre is ready and capable of operating during any flood event of   whatever duration, including in terms of communications, equipment, rostering of and facilities for staff

• the flood operations centre has available to it all tools, studies, equations and data necessary for it to be fully appraised of the consequences of its operation of the dams, including:

– hydrodynamic model of the Brisbane River downstream of the Wivenhoe Dam

– hydrodynamic model of the Bremer River

– copy of damage curves from Brisbane Valley Damage Minimisation Study 2007

– equations for flow out of fuse plugs, if initiated.

2.2 It should be accepted that control over temporary alteration of the full supply level of Wivenhoe, Somerset and North Pine dams is solely the function of the Queensland Government acting through the responsible Minister.

2.3 The regulatory framework by which the responsible Minister can effect a temporary alteration to full supply level should be simplified.

2.4 For the purposes of making any decision about a temporary alteration to full supply level, the Minister should receive advice from:

1. Seqwater, as to the flood mitigation impacts of such an alteration

2. the Water Grid Manager, as to the security of water supply implications of such an alteration

3. the Water Commission, as to both the flood mitigation impacts and the security of water supply implications of such an alteration

4. DERM as to an analysis of the above advice, its own advice as to dam safety, the regulatory framework and any other matter within its expertise.

2.5 If the Bureau of Meteorology makes a similar seasonal forecast to that made for the 2010/2011 wet season, expressed with equal or greater confidence, for the 2011/2012 wet season, the Queensland Government should temporarily reduce the full supply level of Wivenhoe Dam to 75 per cent, with a concomitant adjustment to the trigger levels for the strategies in the Wivenhoe manual.

2.6 The requirements of the chief executive of DERM as to training of operational personnel should be provided to Seqwater on a regular and formal basis.

2.7 Seqwater should ensure all staff and engineers who may be involved in flood operations are involved in formal training exercises which address the full range of possible operating situations.

2.8 Seqwater should:

1. conduct an interim review of the Wivenhoe manual

2. have the draft manual assessed by independent expert peer reviewers

3. consider the expert peer reviews

4. submit the draft manual to DERM for approval under the Act so that it can be approved before 1 October 2011.

2.9 The following matters require particular attention during the interim review of the Wivenhoe manual:

• definition of what ‘best forecast rainfall’ means

• prescription about how forecast rainfall information is to be used by the flood engineers


For further recommendations click on the following link

http://resources.news.com.au/files/2011/08/01/1226105/991535-floods-inquiry-recommendations.pdf