More than 70 stakeholders will gather in Launceston today to take part in a multi-agency flood preparedness exercise.
The exercise will include representatives from the City of Launceston Council, emergency services, Launceston Flood Authority, local businesses, not-for-profit organisations and the National Emergency Management Agency.
Launceston Acting Mayor, Matthew Garwood said the exercise was an opportunity for agencies and organisations to share their expertise on flood management.
“The City of Launceston routinely engages in flood readiness exercises, whether it’s our operations crews testing flood gates and pumps, our water team monitoring river levels, or inter-agency preparedness exercises like this,” Cr Garwood said.
There have been more than 40 significant floods in Launceston since record-keeping began.
In 2010, a major reconstruction of the city’s flood defence system began and, in 2018, a 700m-long flood levee at Newstead was completed. Today, Launceston’s flood levee defence system comprises more than 12km of earth and concrete levees and 19 flood gates.
More than 5,000 Launceston residents live in homes protected by levees and more than 400 businesses also operate in levee protected areas of the city.
“While our flood levee defence system is an incredible piece of infrastructure, it is important for Launceston residents to be aware that the levees are not a guarantee against flood,” Cr Garwood said.
“Although the City of Launceston and the Launceston Flood Authority continually inspect and maintain the levee system, the adequacy of the system can’t be guaranteed in every scenario,” he said.
“Exercises like the one we’re holding today are important for businesses, non-profit organisations and emergency management agencies to develop strategic and coordinated recovery planning for flood events – but they should also serve as a reminder to residents in low-lying parts of the city to consider their own flood risk and to plan accordingly.”
