Have your say

Stanthorpe and Leyburn residents are invited to have their say on a study that examines potential flood risks and how to reduce the community’s vulnerability to flooding.
The community sessions will be held on Saturday from 9am to 11am at the CWA Hall, Macintyre Street, Leyburn and from 2pm to 4pm at the Stanthorpe Civic Centre, Corner of Marsh and Lock Streets, Stanthorpe.
In September 2011, the Southern Downs Regional Council commissioned Sinclair Knight Merz (SKM) to complete the Leyburn and Stanthorpe flood risk management studies.
The Leyburn study focuses on the risk of flooding in the town of Leyburn, as well as rural areas along the floodplain.
The study area extends from Sandy Creek in the south, to the boundary of the shire, north of Leyburn’s location on Canal Creek.
The Stanthorpe study focuses on the risk of flooding in the towns of Stanthorpe, Glen Aplin and Ballandean, as well as rural areas along the floodplain.
The study area extends from Stanthorpe’s location on Quart Pot Creek and south along the Severn River down to Ballandean.
Study objectives are to develop computer flood models of the catchment; quantify and map flood risks within the study area; reduce community vulnerability to flooding;Continued from page 1
and raise community awareness of flooding risks.
The study team is seeking to liaise with the community throughout the study to obtain the most accurate and relevant information for use in the study.
The study team plans to hold three community open sessions, with the first session focused on model calibration, the second, design floods and the third, mitigation options.
“Community open sessions provide an informal opportunity for residents to view displays of the flood model results,” said Adam Colrain, the council’s manager of design and assets.
“Residents are encouraged to attend these sessions and may arrive at any time and stay as long as they need during the advertised session times,” he said.
Study team members will be available to discuss the results and any other matters that residents wish to raise, specifically regarding flood mitigation measures to reduce community vulnerability.
The study team proposes to hold its first open sessions, to display model calibration results, as summarised:
* The model calibration incorporated local flooding information gathered from community members.
* Photographs, video footage and flood marks from December 2010 and January 2011, as well as some flood marks from previous flood events, where collected and surveyed.
For further information, contact Mr Colrain on (07) 4661 0300.