New camera added to the Mary River flood network
A new camera had been added to the Fraser Coast Regional Council’s flood early warning network.
The camera is one of three recently added to Council’s network which were jointly funded by the State and Local government under the Queensland Disaster Resilience Fund.
The cameras, which cost between $25,000 and $30,000 each to buy and install, have three purposes, Chair of the Local Disaster Management Group, Fraser Coast Mayor George Seymour, said.
“Through our camera network residents can have instant access to information on flood waters in the Mary River, especially residents in Granville and the Pocket.
“Residents can check the information at any time by logging on to Disaster Dashboard though Council’s web site
“From the dashboard they can select one of a number of cameras in the early warning flood network to see firsthand the height of flood waters and know if bridges and roads are open or closed.”
Council and the Bureau of Meteorology also use the information as part of their calculations to develop flood prediction models and they provide a backup in case our electronic measuring equipment fails.
“If the electronic system fails, we can use the cameras to see the flood heights against fixed known heights, and in some cases, against manual markers at points along our rivers, rather than having to send out staff to record the measurements in often dangerous conditions.
The solar-powered cameras, backed up with batteries, can last up to five days between charges.
Cameras were also installed in Queens Park - to focus on stretch of river between the Brolga Theatre and the Granville Bridge; to cover the access road and Teddington Weir.
The Guava Street camera will give a view of Kent and Mary streets. Guava Street is the main access to Granville once lower Kent Street is cut by floodwaters. It will be “Live” on the dashboard following calibration and testing will be undertaken in the next two weeks.
The Queensland Government provided $38,790 towards the project.
Member for Maryborough Bruce Saunders said the new camera will help safeguard the community during storm season.
“Having this permanent visual in place will allow residents and council to identify flood risks early,” Mr Saunders said.
“We’re the most disaster-affected state in Australia, so it’s important we’re making investments like this to protect Queenslanders and their properties.”
Council has eight cameras in its flood warning network, along with 21 automatic weather monitoring and flood warning stations.
“Our Disaster Management Plans cover a range of events from natural disasters such as fire, floods and cyclones to assisting other agencies, such as Queensland Health, as they respond to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Cr Seymour said.
“While all agencies and organisations have been grappling with COVID-19, Councils disaster management team still continues to prepare the region for a range of other events.
“Fires, floods, storms and cyclones will still happen regardless of covid-19
“While it is great to have the cameras and weather stations, residents still need to be prepared.
“As we head into the bushfire season now is a good time for residents to review their ‘What if’ Plans to make sure they are up to date.
“Having a ‘What If’ Plan for a natural disaster covers a lot of situations such as ensuring you know where you are going to go if you have to leave; what you are going to do with your pets; that you have adequate supplies of medication and a bit of non-perishable food stashed away in case of an emergency.
“If you would like to find out more about a ‘What If’ plan head to the Council’s Disaster Dashboard at http://disaster.frasercoast.qld.gov.au/
“The dashboard and our Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/FCRCdisaster/, are a great source of local information, not just when a natural disaster is unfolding.
“The days of looking for multiple websites about weather information, public warning messages, road closures, maps and social media feeds are over. The Disaster Dashboard centralises the information in one easy display.”
All of councils flood cameras can be found on the disaster dashboard map at http://disaster.frasercoast.qld.gov.au/