HEAVILY-criticised flood maps are set to be overhauled by Logan City Council.
Maps released last year sent outrage through the community as thousands of homes not touched by the city’s worst floods were suddenly told they were in risk territory.
Council debated two types of map – the one that was released, and another which indicated high and low-risk zones.
Now the state government has intervened and demanded council adopt the more accurate mapping.
New maps show four levels of risk, ranging from very low flood-risk zones to high flood-risk zones.
Mayor Darren Power supported the initial maps, saying the “sea of blue” was an “inevitable outcome” of changing conditions, including climate change.
Councillor Scott Bannan said the maps did little more than “freak” people out.
“These maps focused on a single flood event that has a 1 per cent chance – or one in 100 chance – of happening in any year, which resulted in the big blue map,” Cr Bannan said.
This event “does not include climate change and is underpinned by various datasets dated between 2010-2014″, according to the latest council report.
Cr Bannan said the government should have chosen the “much better” risk-based approach, rather than a “‘predicted’ mapping system based off predicted rainfall”.
According to the proposal, the new approach ensures the inclusion of the most up-to-date information (currently from 2019) about the risks and likelihood of flooding, resulting in more accurate and precise mapping.
It recognises multiple flood events and the likelihood of these events occurring, the danger and impacts of the floods, and the worst-case flooding that can happen in a certain area.
The mapping based on this approach contains four flood-risk categories – high, moderate, low and very low flood risk.
High-risk flood areas may see restrictions on development and reconfiguration capabilities, while very low risk zones will have more development freedom.
Cr Bannan said it was for that reason the new approach was the better option.
“It’s a bitter pill to swallow… but it’s better than what it was because it gives you clarification about what you can do in different areas,” he said.
The next step is for the state government to either approve or deny the new plan, after which a community consultation period will start – with contributions possibly coming from insurance companies before the plan can then be adopted.
To fast-track the process, this new plan has been introduced as a temporary local planning instrument.
Otherwise, it could take up to 2.5 years for the new mapping to be ratified.
Logan City Council is persisting with the High Flow Area prohibiting any development and making properties worthless. The High Flow Area has grouped H5 and H6 flood vulnerabilities together to make the High Flow Area, however, H5 can allow development subject to conditions.
The High Flow Area is also being used as a Flood Hazard Overlay, despite the Planning Instrument not listing it as a Flood Hazard Overlay.
They have also prioritised privacy and security, over safety by allowing unregulated fences, but not properly engineered structures. Even if they allowed properly engineered non habitable structures in the H5 area it would be a major improvement to residents who cannot build carports to protect vehicles, animal shelters to meet animal welfare obligations, or shade near an approved pool.
Logan City Council adopting such an overbearing approach is stifling development and tanking land values in the area without consideration of residents. Residents are finding that this overlay is not allowing land owners to do anything on their property other than existing uses.
Council Officers cannot even adequately explain the High Flow Area and are unwilling to hear community concerns.