Time to have your say in flood study

Southern Downs residents are invited to have their say on the preliminary findings of the Condamine River and Tributaries flood study at a public meetings this Saturday.
Data collated since August last year has been built into maps of the flood plain and will be presented at the meetings.
The study focuses on the risk of flooding in the towns of Warwick, Killarney, Allora, Yangan, Emu Vale, Tannymorel and Pratten, as well as rural areas along the floodplain.
“Our goal is to develop computer flood models of the Condamine River flood plain and quantify and map flood risks in the study area,” said Adam Colrain, Southern Downs Regional Council’s manager design and assets.
“This should help to reduce community vulnerability to flooding and raise awareness of flooding risks,” Mr Colrain said.
The study team is seeking to liaise with the community throughout the study to ensure the most accurate and relevant information is obtained and used.
The study was commissioned in August 2010, with contractors Sinclair Knight Merz (SKM) but was delayed by the December 2010 and January 2011 flood events and a delay in aerial surveying.
Community Open Sessions provide an informal opportunity for residents to view displays of the flood model results.
Residents may arrive at any time and stay as long as they need during the advertised session times. Study team members will be available to discuss the results and any other matters that residents wish to raise, specifically regarding flood mitigation measures to reduce community vulnerability.  Residents from areas other than Warwick and Killarney are welcome to attend either session.
The open session times are 9am to 11am Saturday in the Warwick Library Meeting Room and 1pm to 3pm at the Killarney Senior Citizens’ Centre.
A community open session will be held in Allora in late June to present flood data of the Allora area and Dalrymple Creek.
The delay in this session is due to upstream extensions required to the flood model to better represent the observed flood behaviour during the December 2010 flood.  Modelling of Dalrymple Creek has been delayed to allow incorporation of this information.
For further details, visit the Southern Downs Regional Council website or contact (07) 4661 0300.