"It is true local people have a lot of good local knowledge but other experts may have more information and more experience - borrow it."

Exactly. Make the local better for next time.
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"We have to tackle this issue by making sure that everyone is re-settled in ways that benefit the entire community"

If that means moving an entire suburb off flood-plains, let's do it!

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"If the levees don't work in one time, more of them will not serve in another disaster."

Surely it is a matter of degree - they might not work for another Katrina, but they may work for lesser hurricanes/cyclones.

An interesting article with some practical points for post-cyclone recovery.

I too was wondering about the wisdom of rebuilding houses in those same areas again, and building them in the same way?

After Cyclone Tracy went though Darwin, there were new building codes applied to all buildings. They have had cyclones in the area since then, and have not sustained much damage.

The towns in Northern W.A. also are targets for cyclones, but there are not many large towns on the coast up there.
Why should we continue to sustain large populations/towns in cyclone-prone areas such as Northern Queensland?

Apart from the potential loss of life and incomes every year come cyclone season, we have the huge expense of footing the bills after each of these disasters.

We know the cyclones are only going to become bigger and more frequent in these areas from now on.
Should we be rebuilding these towns at all?

Suze, you've got to be kidding!

There are only 3 reasons for Brisbane's existence. With out them you can shut the place down.

They are mining agriculture, & tourism.

There is agriculture down south, & a bit of tourism, but the majority of the foreign exchange earning part of these industries sugar & beef are up in cyclone country.

However it is coal, soon to have gas added that funds all the south. Without it, & some other mining wealth you would not have 4 & 6 lane highways carrying highly paid public servants, & academics around the place. There would be no money to pay for the roads or public workforce. There would be no need for them either, Brisbane would be a minor wheat exporting port, & not much else.

I did find it interesting when our Anna said cyclone shelters were expensive. That would be shelters for those who produce Queensland's wealth, or service the export ports that enable us to earn that wealth.

Strangely we can find the money to build these hugely expensive roads tunnels & bridges around Brisbane that are used mostly by those who spend that wealth. Does seem to be a bit cart before the horse to me.

Try google earth, & have a look at the cyclone coast. You will find huge jetties all along it, like the one at Lucinda, [where the winds hit 186 Km/H] 4 miles long to service the sugar industry. Without these & the people who work them, there is no money for Brisbane roads.

Perhaps the people of Brisbane should leave just a little bit of that wealth up in cyclone country, for those who earn it for us all.

Got this email today following the PM's announcement of $17 million for flood relief.

THE TOP 8 RECIPIENTS OF THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT'S AID DOLLARS IN 2010-2011
Indonesia - $ 458.7 million
Papua New Guinea - $ 457.2 million
Solomon Islands - $ 225.7 million
Afghanistan - $ 123.1 million
Vietnam - $ 119.8 million
Philippines - $ 118.1 million
East Timor - $ 102.7 million
Cambodia - $ 64.2 million
TOTAL = $ 1,669 million -to be given away in 52 weeks
..but wait, theres more...
Australia provides approximately 150,000 tonnes of food aid every year about $65 million to
Bangladesh, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Sudan and Chad.
In 2010-2011 the Australian Government plans to spend almost $4.4 billion on development assistance to under developed countries.
SO.. Ask your local Member how come 2011 Queensland flood victims get $17 million so far?
When insurers, such as Allianz and CGU, provide cover for storm damage but EXCLUDE
FLOOD from their home and contents policies.
SUGGEST, we EXCLUDE them from our Shopping Lists ?
And now Gillard will give nearly $500 million for Indonesias Islamic schools which are largely moderate in outlook but there have been pockets of radicalism that have produced terrorists in Indonesia, most notably the cleric Abu Bakar Bashirs school in Ngruki, central Java, where some of the Bali bombers studied
STOP THE OVERSEAS AID NOW AND DIVERT THOSE FUNDS TO
QUEENSLAND.
WHEN QUEENSLAND HAS BEEN REBUILT AND BACK ON ITS FEET,
THEN WE CAN HELP TO BUILD MORE ISLAMIC SCHOOLS
OVERSEAS.

Hasbeen has got qld funding the south now. So why does qld get 30% of vic GST money.

Of the points in the article, point four strikes me as the most important and most thorny.

McReal's comment - " if a suburb needs moving, then move it" is pointed.

It is more valid than change to the building code. How do you build to cope with flood if a houses have been innundated?

Underlying this is the need for a review of zoning for residential purposes - in fact, any purpose in dangerous flood areas as with the Rocklea wholesale market.

To dismiss the above with "the dam will save us" should not be an option. Clearly the dam did not, and I have read the Brisbane Lord Mayor is not in favour of levees, then McReal's " move the suburb" becomes a solution.

However, levees should be considered because - presumably- well maintained levees saved Goondawindi from flooding. Obviously they are a useful strategy among others. Warracknabeal in Victoria was saved because locals got together and constructed temporary levees while waiting for the flood waters to reach their town.

Perhaps the building of the discarded Wolfdene dam for water storage enabling the Wivanhoe to be kept mainly for flood (less full) mitigation purposes might also be worth of another look.

Aesthetics - or beautification schemes over the practicalities of adequate drainage, as with Toowoomba, is something else which should be looked at.

The 1 in 100 year flood planning should be revisited as (in my area) it is all too frequently used to knock over locals knowledge and arguments against use of low lying areas for housing development. This is a trap for people with little of no local knowledge and often ends with damage to homes through flash flooding.

The issue of flood insurance (mandatory if necessary) if people chose to rebuild in the same position is an area for consideration. If rebuilding is not permitted, then compensation becomes an issue. council.

Underlying all this is the role of State Government planning laws which should also be subjected to scrutiny.

At the moment emphasis is on warning systems,and evacuation. Other issues should be given prominence too.