The Federal Government has announced the signing of a $5 million agreement between Geoscience Australia and Engineers Australia that will see a complete revision of the Australian Rainfall and Runoff guide, with an aim to achieve a better understanding of flood risks faced by communities.

 

The agreement forms a part of a $12 million four year program to increase the quality, consistency and accessibility of flood risk information initiated by the Australian Government in response to the Natural Disaster Insurance Review.

 

“The guide forms part of a suite of products, including maps of historic floods derived from satellite imagery and a national flood portal providing a single point of access to flood studies, to be developed by Geoscience Australia,” Minister for Resources and Energy Martin Ferguson said.

 

The Australian Rainfall and Runoff  guide is a significant source of technical information used by engineers to determine the degree to which a particular area is flood-prone.

 

“These flood studies provide fundamental information needed for planning our communities, planning emergency response, and for the design and construction of major infrastructure including roads and bridges.

 

“Since the guide was last updated in 1987, new approaches to catchment and flood modelling have been developed and a significant volume of new data about rainfall and runoff patterns has been collected.

 

“The new guide will enable engineers to develop more accurate and detailed flood studies, and will enable them to consider the potential impact of climate induced changes to rainfall and river flow patterns.