Flood warning: An Australian Guide

Keys, C., Elliott, J., Handmer, J. and Salter, J. (1995) The Australian Journal of Emergency Management, 10 (2), 31-33

In October 1991, some 50 people from the various states and territories gathered at Mt Macedon to consider the effectiveness of flood warnings in Australia. Their occupations and professional interests illustrated the wide-ranging nature of the flood warning task: amongst those present were meteorologists, hydrologists, water authority and council engineers, police, emergency managers, academics, local government councillors, journalists and specialists in public education. After a week of discussion, the workshop participants decided that a manual of 'best practice' should be produced to guide those with responsibilities in the flood warning field.

That manual has now been published by Emergency Management Australia (EMA) and is being made available to the numerous stakeholders involved in flood warnings including State Emergency Service (SES) units, technical services departments of councils, water management authorities, the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) and others. Later in the year it is intended that a number of workshops will be conducted, in those states which require them, to familiarise flood managers with the contents of the manual. The document itself has been accepted by the individual Flood Warning Consultative Committees in the six states and by their equivalents in the Northern Territory (NT) and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). Its drafting was a lengthy process involving input from numerous people from around Australia, and the writing team gratefully acknowledges the help and guidance received.

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