The call for nominations for FMA Office-bearers was issued on 11 April, 2013. The following nominations have been received by the Executive Officer;

FMA Chairperson
Ian Dinham, Full Member - Moree Plains Shire Council

FMA Deputy Chairperson
Larry Bolitho, Individual Member

FMA Technical Director
Danny Rose, Full Member - Tweed Shire Council

FMA Land Use Planning Director 
Paul Grech, Corporate Member - GLN Planning

FMA Communications Director
No nomination received

As only one nomination was received for each of the positions, those nominees are elected.

Mr Dinham and Mr Bolitho are returned, and Mr Rose and Mr Grech will take up duty at the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting on May 30 2013.

Congratulations to all!

The Annual General Meeting to be held at the conference sets the direction for the FMA, and this year the Executive Committee is recommending important changes to the FMA Constitution.

Business Papers will be emailed to Members and will also be available in the Members’ section of the FMA website before the conference. Printed sets of Business Papers will be available for delegates at the conference.

 Member Councils please send at least one delegate to this year’s conference and AGM to vote for changes to equip the FMA to better represent the interests of floodplain managers and their communities.

The National Floodplain Management Association Conference is from 28 to 31 May at magnificent Tweed Heads - only 3 weeks away!

Hosted by Tweed Shire Council, “National Floodplain Management - shared experiences, national solutions” will bring together over 300 flood professionals from across the country to learn from recent floods, receive updates from industry and agency experts and explore opportunities to better manage flood risks.

Choose from 45 presenters covering the fields of Flood Risk, Modelling, Climate Change, Community Engagement, and Use Planning, Structural Works, Emergency Response, Insurance and Flood Recovery. One of these will win the coveted Harold Sternbeck Medal for the best presentation at this years’ conference!

If you can’t spare four days you can register for just one day at the conference or workshops.

Special discounts are still available for all FMA Members, and tertiary students studying flood related courses. For the latest program and registration visit: http://www.floodplainconference.com

A reminder to all FMA Members to take some time to complete the FMA Flood Insurance Survey before 5.00pm 13 May 2013!

This Survey has been sent to all FMA members. Completing the questionnaire can help you in documenting and sharing your own experiences and views. FMA members can then all benefit through the collective knowledge gained, and your Association can also better represent members’ interests to government, the insurance industry and the communities we all serve.

It should take no more than about 20 minutes. You may be able to complete part of the Survey and come back at a later time as often as you find necessary, depending on how your internet access is set up.

All members have been sent the link to the survey in the latest FMA Flyer, but it is also available in the Member's Section of the FMA website. 

Any questions about the Survey should be put to the Executive Officer.

Executive Officer Glenn Evans represented the FMA and its Members on 10 April at the Senate Inquiry Hearing in Sydney. Issues covered during the hearing included flood mapping, government investment in flood risk management and land use planning in flood areas. 

To read the FMA's submission paper, click here. 

The National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility (NCCARF) was established by the Australian Government in 2008 to harness and coordinate the capabilities of Australia's researchers, to generate and communicate the knowledge decision-makers need for successful adaptation to climate change.

NCCARF has developed a suite of flooding fact sheets from published final reports which is accessible online. Keep up to date with these flooding reports here. Simply select 'Flood' from the 'Thematic Area' and it will take to you a list of relevant documents. 

For those who were unable to attend the NCCARF Forum: Flooding in Australia on the 21st March, 2013, most documents and presentations from the day can be found here. 

In partnership with OEH the FMA has developed the Floodplain Risk Management Course conducted by the University of Technology Sydney. The course covers both structural flood mitigation measures and land use planning.

Flooding causes the most damage in economic terms of any natural hazard in Australia, resulting in injury and death, and yet out of all natural hazards, it is the most manageable. The New South Wales Government's Floodplain Development Manual 2005 shows how to better manage development on the floodplain considering flood risk.

The course will be in three blocks of two days in August, September and October 2013.

It is taught by industry experts, including those from OEH, NSW State Emergency Service, Local Government and consultancy this course shows how to develop and implement floodplain risk management (FRM) in accordance with the Floodplain Development Manual.

Download an information and application form here.

Read more: Floodplain Risk Management Short Course - Apply Now