More cash to manage flood areas

COUNCIL has won a $250,000 grant from the Queensland Government to expand its Six Mile Creek Flood Study and equip the catchment with a flood monitoring system.
Welcoming the news, Mayor Tony Wellington said Council would commission a more comprehensive study with the additional funding.
“This will vastly improve our understanding of the Six Mile Creek catchment, guide future planning and land use decisions, and help us better predict and manage flooding,” he said.
The monitoring system will feed real-time data to Noosa’s Local Disaster Coordination Centre during emergencies, as well as provide information for the study.
The Natural Disaster Resilience Program grant includes $83,996 toward the study and $165,600 toward the flood monitoring system.
“Combined, these projects will help us better understand the behaviour, extent, velocity and depth of flood water in various parts of the Six Mile Creek catchment,” Cr Wellington said.
Council’s project manager Adam Britton said the additional funding would also allow Council to fill gaps in flood data for the catchment, which takes in areas of Cooroy, Pomona, Cooran, Kin Kin, Pinbarren and Lake Macdonald.
The Six Mile Creek study will be the most detailed undertaken in the catchment.
“There have been some smaller studies carried out but they’re limited and need updating. This broader Six Mile Creek Flood Study will cover a much larger area,” Mr Britton said.
The project will follow on from the soon to be completed Noosa River Flood Study upgrade for the Noosa River Catchment which extends from Kin Kin to Cooroibah, Noosaville and down to the river mouth.
The Six Mile Creek Catchment projects are now out to tender.
“I am delighted we are able to deliver this project in partnership with the Queensland Government to help boost Noosa’s flood preparedness,” Cr Wellington said.
The Six Mile Creek Catchment Flood Monitoring System and Six Mile Creek Flood Study Upgrade are joint initiatives of Noosa Shire Council and the Queensland Government and follow Council’s recent flood mitigation projects at Pomona and Tewantin.