Bowen Local Catchment Flood Study
On the 11th March 2015, Council resolved to publicly release the ‘Bowen Local Catchment Flood Study’ (AECOM 2015). The report focuses specifically on flooding caused by rainfall in the local Bowen catchment and compliments recent reports released by Council on riverine flooding (Don River Flood Mitigation Report 2014 and Storm Surge Report 2012). It is important for the community to understand how the three different flood risks (rainfall in the local catchment, riverine flooding and storm tide inundation) affect the Bowen township.
The 2015 AECOM Study provides the community with the most detailed, accurate and up to date flood risk information for rainfall in the Bowen local catchment. The study also recommends that the mapping be used for disaster management purposes to help determine evacuation routes for localized rainfall events. This mapping informs the Flood overlay within the Whitsunday Planning Scheme 2017.
Download the Bowen Local Catchment Flood Study 2015(PDF, 23MB)
Don River Flood Risk and Mitigation Study
On 8th October 2014, Council received the Don River Flood Risk and Mitigation Study: Stage 1 – Flood Risk Assessment (AECOM, September 2014) and resolved to release it to the public. Council commissioned the study into the flood risk posed by the Don River and investigate potential mitigation options to help improve flood resilience for the Bowen community. The Queensland Government provided 40% of the funding for the study with Council providing the remainder.
Stage 1 of the Don River Flood Risk and Mitigation Study outlines the flood risks in detail, with Stage 2 presenting possible approaches to mitigating flooding. This mapping informs the Flood overlay within the Whitsunday Planning Scheme 2017.
Download the Don River Flood Risk and Mitigation Study Stage 1 2014(PDF, 32MB)
Proserpine Flood and Drainage Study
In 2011, Council utilised updated contour data (LIDAR) to undertake a detailed revision of the Proserpine Flood and Drainage Study 2007. The study updated the hydraulic model for the 2, 10, 50 and 100-year ARI design events, compared flood heights with those obtained during the 2010 updates and provided revised baseline flood heights for the Township. This mapping informs the Flood overlay within the Whitsunday Planning Scheme 2017.
Download the Proserpine Flood and Drainage Study 2011(PDF, 21MB)
Town of Whitsunday Drainage Study (TOWDS)
On 30th January 2019, Council received the TOWDS and on the 12th June 2019 resolved to utilise the flood model outputs including climate change projections to 2100. The TOWDS area includes five catchments, being Jubilee Pocket, Airlie Beach, Cannonvale, Riordanvale and Cannon Valley. For the TOWDS area an entirely new model was developed for the five catchments, as no flood modelling data was available for the entire area. The study follows QCoast Leading Practice and substantially improves the understanding of flood hazard extent for the area. This mapping informs the Flood overlay map within the Whitsunday Planning Scheme 2017.
Download the Town of Whitsunday Drainage Study 2017(PDF, 21MB)
Bowen Water Hazard Study (BWH)
On 30th January 2019 Council received the BWH study. The BWH study area is located to the east of the Don River and concentrates on the urbanised area of Bowen. The purpose of the BWH study was to determine extents of inundation of coastal areas due to storm tide and ascertain whether the combined occurrence of riverine flooding may further influence catchment flooding, including climate change factors in 2050 and 2100. This study builds on previous flood modelling undertaken by AECOM that modelled riverine and localised flood conditions but did not take into account the combined effect of riverine flooding and storm tide.
This study has provided significantly improved accuracy in relation to the threat of this hazard when compared to the State Planning Policy (SPP) Coastal Hazard Mapping. Hazard extents and inundation levels for a 1% AEP cyclonic event in 2100 informs the Whitsunday Planning Scheme 2017 Coastal hazard overlays.
Download the Bowen Water Hazard Study Stage 1 – Storm tide modelling 2017(PDF, 16MB) or
Download the Bowen Water Hazard Study Stage 2 – Coincident modelling 2018(PDF, 5MB)
Coastal Hazard Mapping Refinement Study
On 30th January 2019, Council received the TOWDS and resolved to utilise the 2100 storm surge and coastal erosion model outputs for Planning purposes. The Coastal Hazard Mapping Refinement Study was required to understand the extent of current and future coastal hazard areas in 2100 for storm tide and coastal erosion, so that potentially impacted assets and values can be identified.
The mapping provides much greater accuracy and refinement of hazard extents and severity than previously utilised State coastal hazard mapping. Mapping of a 1% AEP cyclonic event in 2100 informs the Whitsunday Planning Scheme 2017 Coastal hazard overlays.
Download the Coastal Hazard Mapping Refinement Study 2018
Whitsunday Landslide Study
On 12th June 2019, Council received the Whitsunday Landslide Study completed by Cardno QLD Pty Ltd (Cardno). The study more accurately maps landslide hazard areas at a higher resolution than previous mapping and identifies varying levels of landslide risk for the southern Council area where landslide risk is considered most prevalent. The study informed best practice planning policy for mitigating risk to development within hazard areas. This mapping informs the Landslide overlay within the Whitsunday Planning Scheme 2017.
Download the Whitsunday Landslide Study 2019(PDF, 14MB)