Rous County Council (Rous) Flood Mitigation Manager, Chrisy Clay, has been recognised as the best presenter at the 2026 Floodplain Management Australia (FMA) National Conference, receiving the prestigious Harold Sternbeck Medal.
Ms Clay received the award after being selected as the standout speaker from more than 110 presentations delivered at the national conference.
Her talk, Beyond the ribbon cutting: lessons from a century of flood mitigation on the Richmond River, explored the challenges and ongoing impacts associated with earlier flood mitigation efforts, and the lessons these experiences offer for current and future floodplain management work.
This national recognition follows Ms Clay’s highly commended keynote address at the 2025 NSW Coastal Conference. Her presentation, 26 years on the Richmond River floodplain: the grief, hope and urgency of now…, drew on her extensive expertise in floodplain and estuary management.
Ms Clay said receiving the award from industry peers in flood management was most meaningful.
“It is incredibly rewarding to receive this recognition from people I respect and work alongside within the industry,” she said.
“There are many talented and passionate people working in floodplain management across Australia, and the standard of presentations at the conference was exceptionally high.
“Many of us have dedicated our studies and careers to better understanding floodplains, and how we can address the risk of flooding against environmental, economic and social impacts of doing so.
“I am honoured to be recognised among so many experienced and knowledgeable professionals.”
Rous General Manager, Phillip Rudd said he was proud to see Ms Clay’s expertise recognised on a national level.
“Chrisy’s recognition on the national stage reflects her exceptional depth of knowledge and unwavering commitment to floodplain management,” Mr Rudd said.
“She is highly respected within our organisation and across the wider industry.
“Working alongside Chrisy and her team, we have the privilege of experiencing firsthand the strength of her leadership and her commitment to sustainable floodplain management, environmental outcomes and the communities we serve.
“The awarding of the Harold Sternbeck Medal is a significant achievement, and we are extremely proud to see her recognised in this way.”Quotes attributed to Sue Ribbons, President, Floodplain Management Australia.
“On behalf of Floodplain Management Australia (FMA), I am delighted to congratulate Chrisy as the 2026 winner of the Harold Sternbeck Medal from the 2026 FMA National Conference, held at the Gold Coast, where there were more than 550 attendees.
“The Harold Sternbeck Medal competition has been a FMA Conference tradition for many years and encourages excellence across all aspects of a conference presentation. “The Harold Sternbeck Medal is awarded to the best paper presentation at the FMA Annual Conference in recognition of past President Harold’s contribution to the organisation.”
As Flood Mitigation Manager, Ms Clay oversees the operation and maintenance of an extensive network of historical flood mitigation infrastructure across the Richmond River floodplain. This includes managing floodgates, drains, canals, and earth levees – each presenting complex and evolving challenges.
