REFERENCED DOCUMENT Flood Emergency Management Plan - MCU13/0064

Flood Forecasting

The Bureau of Meteorology operates a flood warning system for the Noosa River catchment based on a
rainfall and river height monitoring network shown on the map. The network consists of an automatic ALERT
system, as well as a number of volunteer rainfall and river height observers who forward observations by
telephone when the initial flood height has been exceeded at their station.

The Bureau's Flood Warning Centre issues Flood Warnings and River Height Bulletins for the Noosa River
during flood events. Qualitative flood forecasts are issued when moderate flood levels are likely to be
exceeded.

Local Information

The Sunshine Coast Regional Council is able to provide further information on flooding in your area of the
Noosa River catchment.

Noosa River ALERT System

The Noosa River ALERT system was installed in January 2001 by the Noosa Shire Council, with the
assistance of the Bureau. It was funded through the Regional Flood Mitigation Program. The system consists
of a network of rainfall and river height field stations which report via VHF radio to base station computers in
the Council office at Tewantin and in the Flood Warning Centre in Brisbane.

The Noosa River monitoring network has eight field stations - three which measure lake level/river height and
rainfall, and four which measure only rainfall in the headwater areas. The remaining station continuously
monitors the tide at Noosa Heads. These field stations send reports for every 1 millimetre of rainfall and every
50 millimetre change in water level. The base station computer collects the data and has software that
displays it in graphical and tabular form. The data is transmitted to the Bureau's Flood Warning Centre in
Brisbane where it is used in hydrologic models to produce river height predictions during times of heavy rain
and flooding.

Flood Warnings and Bulletins

The Bureau of Meteorology issues Flood Warnings and River Height Bulletins for the Noosa River and adjoining
river systems regularly during floods. They are sent to radio stations for broadcast, and to local Councils,
emergency services and a large number of other agencies involved in managing flood response activities.
Flood Warnings and River Height Bulletins are available via :

Radio
Radio stations, particularly the local ABC, and local commercial stations, broadcast Flood Warnings and River
Height Bulletins soon after issue.

Local response organisations
These include the Councils, Police, and State Emergency Services in the local area.

Internet/World Wide Web
Flood Warnings, River Height Bulletins and other weather related data is available on the Bureau's Web page
at http://www.bom.gov.au . The Queensland Flood Warning Centre website is http://www.bom.gov.au/qld/flood
.

Telephone Weather
Flood Warnings are available through a recorded voice retrieval system, along with a wide range of other
weather related and climate information.

Main Directory                        Phone      1900 955 360
Flood Warnings                        Phone      1300 659 219

Telephone Weather Services Call Charges:
1900 numbers: 77c per minute incl. GST; 1300 numbers: Low call cost - around 27.5c incl. GST.
(More from international, satellite, mobile or public phones)

Interpreting Flood Warnings and River Height Bulletins

Flood Warnings and River Height Bulletins contain observed river heights for a selection of the river height
monitoring locations. The time at which the river reading has been taken is given together with its tendency
(e.g. rising, falling, steady or at its peak). The Flood Warnings may also contain predictions in the form of
minor, moderate or major flooding for a period in the future. River Height Bulletins also give the height above or
below the road bridge or causeway for each river station located near a road crossing.

One of the simplest ways of understanding what the actual or predicted river height means is to compare the
height given in the Warning or Bulletin with the height of previous floods at that location.

The table below summarises the flood history of the Noosa River catchment - it contains the flood gauge
heights of the more significant recent floods.

                                 -        Feb       Mar        Feb        Feb        Mar       Aug        Mar
     River height station
                               1968       1992      1992       1995       1999       2004      2007       2010


       Coops Corner              -        7.25      6.22       5.84       5.60        -        7.00       4.27
       Boreen Point            3.15       3.30      1.50       1.35       1.95      1.08       2.75       1.03
      Lake Cooroibah            -         2.55      1.25       1.00       1.45      1.18       2.05       1.43
          Tewantin             2.00       1.81      1.10       1.10       1.10      1.00       1.18       1.10
All heights are in metres on flood gauges.

Historical flood heights for all river stations in the Noosa River catchment Floodwarning network, as shown on
the map, are available from the Bureau of Meteorology upon request.


               NOOSA RIVER CATCHMENT - ASSESSMENT OF THE FLOOD POTENTIAL

               Major flooding requires a large scale rainfall situation over the Noosa River
               catchment. The following can be used as a rough guide to the likelihood of
               flooding in the catchment: