2026 LGAQ CONFERENCE MOTIONS & COUNCILLOR ATTENDANCE (Referred from the General Committee Meeting dated 7 July 2026 - Item 7.7) · Attachment 1 - Coordinated transition and ongoing funding to continue to provide flood monitoring services

Page 2

                            central to local flood intelligence. However, with Enviromon
                            now unsupported and nearing end-of-life, councils face a
                            significant capability gap. Without a replacement, loss of
                            reliable real-time data will reduce situational awareness and
                            slow emergency decision-making across all levels of
                            government.
                            While modern platforms offer improved functionality -such as
                            cloud-based integration, real-time dashboards, automated
                            alerts, and predictive analytics - they introduce new
                            challenges. The most significant of these is funding. The cost
                            of evaluating, procuring, implementing, and maintaining these
                            systems, including ongoing subscription, is beyond the
                            capacity of many councils, particularly in regional and remote
                            areas.
                            Equally important is the need for technical assistance. Many
                            smaller councils do not have the in-house expertise required to
                            assess platform suitability, compare vendors, manage
                            procurement processes, or ensure successful integration with
                            existing systems. Without support, there is a risk that councils
                            may adopt inconsistent or suboptimal solutions, or delay
                            transition altogether.
                            This creates a strong case for coordinated funding and
                            centralised assistance. Financial support through subsidies or
                            a state-supported model, would ensure equitable access to
                            critical flood intelligence systems. At the same time, providing
                            expert guidance for the evaluation and selection of platforms
                            would enable councils to make informed, consistent decisions
                            and reduce duplication of effort.
                            Without this combined funding and technical support,
                            Queensland risks a fragmented approach, with uneven
                            capability across local governments. A coordinated solution will
                            strengthen disaster preparedness, improve decision-making,
                            and ensure all councils regardless of size or resources, can
                            continue to protect their communities in an increasingly volatile
                            climate.
Case study/ Example
                            As the Bureau of Meteorology’s Enviromon software reaches
(optional) 350 word limit
                            end-of-life, local governments are actively seeking to transition
                            to replacement platforms to maintain critical flood monitoring
                            capabilities.
                            However, to-date there has been no federally coordinated
                            response to assist local governments in identifying a suitable
                            replacement platform, transition from their existing Enviromon
                            systems, and fund the commercial setup and subscription fees.
                            There is a significant risk to all levels of government and the
                            community if a local government either does not proactively
                            seek a replacement for Enviromon before an unsupported
                            system failure occurs or makes an ill-informed choice to adopt
                            a platform that is incompatible with other council’s and
                            agencies.

Page 3

The BoM has made the decision to no longer support
Enviromon for sound technical reasons. However, in the
absence of a coordinated and supported transition to an
alternative platform, local governments and all supporting
emergency service agencies risk losing visibility to key rainfall
and water level observations during critical periods of severe
weather.
The coordinated transition to a common suitable platform
would support data and resource sharing (Council 2 Council)
between councils, state agencies, and emergency services
and enabling a more unified and effective disaster response
across regions.
Moving from the free Enviromon system to subscription-based
alternatives introduces ongoing financial commitments. Costs
associated with licensing, system configuration and
maintenance, and technical support present a significant
challenge, particularly for regional and smaller councils with
limited resources. Without a sustainable funding model, there
is a risk that councils will be unable to maintain timely flood
warning services to their communities.
Accordingly, the LGAQ calls on the Federal Government to
provide coordination and ongoing funding to support the
transition from Enviromon to a proven replacement platform. A
coordinated funding approach will ensure all councils can
access and sustain the tools needed to monitor flood
conditions, support timely disaster management decision-
making, and protect communities during increasingly frequent
and severe weather events.