Joint media release: Work underway on 10 year plan to fix Australia’s flood warning systems

Minister for the Environment and Water, the Hon Tanya Plibersek MP
Minister for Emergency Management, the Hon Jenny McAllister MP

The Albanese Government has begun critical on ground works to deliver upgrades to Australia’s flood warning infrastructure network.

The Bureau of Meteorology currently owns about one-third of the 8,000 gauges it relies on to deliver flood forecasts and warnings across Australia. Under our $236 million 10 year plan, working alongside state, territory and local governments, the Bureau of Meteorology will acquire more than 1,500 additional gauges, approximately 1,000 of these located in Queensland.

The Bureau has worked with 64 councils in Queensland, the country's most flood-affected state, since March this year – and have identified an initial program of works comprising 594 sites.

Work is already complete at the Kamerunga Bridge flood gauge in Cairns that was damaged during Tropical Cyclone Jasper in 2023. Work is also underway in the Bundaberg region with assets being replaced in the Burrum and Cherwell Rivers.

A total of 69 sites will be acquired and remediated by December including in the Burdekin River, Logan and Albert Rivers, and Condamine River. 200 flood gauges across Queensland are set to be acquired and remediated the end of the financial year.

Works are expected to begin in New South Wales later this year, with consultation underway with state and local government agencies in the Northern Rivers region. This work builds on the $15 million the Commonwealth is already investing in supporting NSW councils to install, upgrade and operate flood warning gauges.

Transferring responsibility for the flood gauge network to the Bureau of Meteorology has been recommended by a number of reviews, including the 2022 NSW Flood Inquiry conducted by Professor Mary O’Kane AC and Michael Fuller APM.

Quotes attributable to the Minister for the Environment and Water Tanya Plibersek:

“Severe weather events, including floods, are becoming more extreme and more frequent. When these events occur, communities need access to the best available information, in real time.

“Since 2015, studies have warned that the patchwork flood gauge network would increase risk during floods and have called on the Federal Government to consolidate, upgrade and assume responsibility for ongoing maintenance of the flood network.

“Under Labor work is now underway to fix this, after years of Coalition neglect.”

Quotes attributable to the Minister for the Minister for Emergency Management Jenny McAllister:

“Flooding is the second most deadly natural hazard after heatwaves for our communities, and one of the costliest when it comes to insured losses.

“Information is key to our mitigation and preparedness. This work will improve access to rain and river level observations, helping communities and governments to target their preparations for disasters.

“We know that our climate is changing, and Australians can expect to experience more intense and more frequent natural disasters. The Albanese Government is acting to prepare and protect communities from natural disasters and their impacts.”