Brisbane flood experts slam retirement village plan

Flood experts have come out swinging against an “unacceptable” proposal for a Brisbane retirement complex because elderly residents would have to be evacuated across a dam wall in the event of a major flood.

Active Living April 2016 - Indooroopilly Golf Club

Residents at a proposed Indooroopilly retirement complex would have to be evacuated across a dam wall in a major flood, one of the Independent Panel of Experts who reviewed and signed off on the recently released Brisbane River Catchment Flood Study (BRCFS) says.

Professor Colin Apelt, and civil engineer Hugh McKay, whose masters thesis on Brisbane River flooding was submitted just days before the 1974 flood, said it was unacceptable that a retirement facility was being proposed for the site, on land fronting Meiers Rd at Indooroopilly Golf Club.

Prof Colin Apelt presiding at the 2011 flood inquiry. Picture: Phil Norrish

Mr McKay said that much of Indooroopilly Golf Course was a flood plain.

In a 1-in-100 year flood event, the knoll on which the 215 apartment facility was proposed to be built would be marooned, with Meiers Rd cut off and only emergency access possible across the top of the club’s dam wall.

“Many people don’t realise there is a 1 per cent chance of a one-in-100-year flood event happening or being exceeded every year,’’ Mr McKay said. “It doesn’t mean such an event happens only once a century.’’

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He said it might be acceptable for residential housing to be built in an area subject to a one-in-100-year flood risk, particularly where it was possible to flee to higher ground, but not facilities such as hospitals and retirement facilities.

“This is an unacceptable risk. Putting 400 elderly people in this area is irresponsible, particularly where they have no alternative means of egress and can potentially be marooned,” he said.

Mr McKay said Meiers Rd was submerged and inaccessible for more than 48 hours in 2011, and electricity had to be cut.

According to the development application, the crest of the dam wall would be above the one-in-100-year flood level, and it was proposed to widen the crest to allow access for emergency vehicles. However, according to Mr McKay, there has been no consideration of an event where a one-in-100 year flood level was exceeded.

“There is still a 0.5 per cent (one-in-200) chance, every year, that the flood level at the site could reach 11.3m. This would flood the entire underground carpark and some units,” he said.

“The crest of the dam wall would be 1.7m under water and there would be no means of escape.

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“A 1 per cent annual exceedence probability flood is the accepted risk for private residences, but it is not appropriate for this development involving a large number of elderly people on a site that can be surrounded by floodwater.”

Indooroopilly Golf Club chief executive Steve Lamerton said the retirement village was being developed “with full consideration of the impacts of flood’’ and it was not an aged care facility or hospital.

“The site (did not flood in 2011). It is not prone to storm flooding and river flooding occurs slowly, with many hours’ warning,’’ he said.

He conceded the main access was below flood levels but “the design considers this and establishes a ‘relief road’ to be used for access if necessary’’.

“IGC and (developer) Aura Holdings have undertaken widespread community engagement, holding a series of open days promoted to 28,000 residents,’’ Mr Lamerton said.

He said only nine people had opposed the project during that process.