Extended Lead Time Flood Forecasting Pilot Service Training

Flood simulation exercise

Risk-e Business Consultants entered into a partnership with the Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology, NSW SES and Infrastructure NSW to provide a training package, flood simulation exercise and a final report on lessons learnt in respect to the Hawkesbury Nepean Valley Extended Lead Time Flood Forecasting Pilot Service.

The training was conducted over three days in September 2019 where approximately 40 participants from the Bureau of Meteorology, NSW SES, Infrastructure NSW, Office of Environment and Heritage and WaterNSW were introduced to the pilot program for the Hawkesbury Nepean Valley. This involved background information, an in depth understanding of the pilot projects capabilities and working through how the program could be used by agencies.

In November 2019, a discussion exercise jointly sponsored by the Bureau of Meteorology and the NSW SES was held at the NSW SES Sydney Metropolitan Zone Headquarters at Sydney Olympic Park. Participants were drawn from these agencies along with representatives from Infrastructure NSW, Office of Environment and Heritage and WaterNSW. A facilitated exercise was conducted by Risk-e Business Consultants where participants were given background information and then worked through the Extended Lead Time Flood Forecasting Pilot Service. A written debrief document was completed from participant feedback.

The final stage will be conducted in the first quarter of 2020, that is an external review/audit of agencies current and future capacity in this area. This will be done through a facilitated workshop, existing forecasts and warnings and comparison with ‘Watercoach’ (new forecasting service) to identify improvements in the system of reporting.