Redland City Council develops storm tide maps for 2070

The maps are in addition to those showing the 2100 levels which are a statutory obligation for the council.

Mayor Karen Williams said the maps would help the community understand the predicted medium term impacts of future storm inundation in affected areas of the city.

“This work was prepared following a request from a representative of the Aquatic Paradise Residents Association and will assist in addressing matters raised in submissions on the draft Redland City Plan when it was released for public consultation back in 2015,” Cr Williams said.

“As early as November 18, 2015, council agreed to work directly with technical working groups drawn from both Raby Bay and Aquatic Paradise associations to review all storm tide studies, assumptions and methodologies.

“For property owners in the affected areas, the statutory flood and storm tide hazard overlay only references 2016 and 2100 storm tide levels.”

Cr Williams said this made it difficult for owners to understand how the storm tide impacts were predicated to change over time.

“While the State Planning Policy requires storm tide hazard mapping in the new Redland City Plan to account for predicted impacts of climate change, which it has done, including a 10 per cent increase in storm intensity and a 0.8 metre sea level rise by 2100, the reality for most residents is that their residential assets would have an engineered life of 50 years,” Cr Williams said.

As a result, she said council had agreed to complete the new mapping work.

“This non-statutory 2070 mapping assumes a 0.41 metre rise in the mean sea level by the year 2070.

“The 2070 storm tide hazard mapping will be made available on a new ‘storm tide hazard information’ web page that will go live when the new Redland City Plan commences on October 8.

“It will also include explanatory information to assist landowners in understanding how the statutory and non-statutory storm tide hazard maps will be used.”

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