Toowoomba council sets disaster plan in place
AS THE Toowoomba region is no stranger to storms, the Toowoomba Regional Council (TRC) has a set plan in place for the occurrence of natural disasters.
The TRC natural disaster management plan “identifies potential hazards and risks in the area; identifies steps to mitigate these risks and includes strategies to enact should a hazard impact and cause a disaster”.
The plan also outlines mitigation funding if there is a natural disaster that causes a threat to the region.
The plan encompasses everything from floods, fires and heat-waves, to terrorist attacks and missing persons. Storm management tops the list, with geographic and climate factors causing widespread storms in the region from November to February that hold the potential of damaging wind and hail. Flooding is also listed as a significant threat, with excess water flow occurring to varying degrees annually.
Both Oakey and Toowoomba have a flood early warning system, aimed at monitoring creek and river levels during wet weather.
The detection system consists of six height meters in various locations. When triggered, the system sends the Toowoomba council a message about water levels and also allows changes to traffic lights to prevent motorists from entering flooded intersections.
Toowoomba and the surrounds also has a significant risk of bushfire, especially in the Clifton district, which has a series of rolling plains. The TRC implements methods within the disaster plan to help prevent bushfire fatalities, including controlled burning and a bushfire assessment, to be completed with every development application.
More information on the TRC natural disaster plan can be found at http://www.tr.qld.gov.au.