Conserving and reconnecting floodplains to mitigate flood risk

This project was proposed by Healthy Land and Water.

The research will be conducted in three stages:

• Stage 1) Review and synthesis – this stage will review Australian floodplain conservation and restoration initiatives and decision support tools in the context of flood mitigation.
• Stage 2) Case study application – this applied research stage will explore floodplain conservation and restoration scenarios within several case study catchments in:
  • The Hawksbury-Nepean catchment, NSW
  • The Bremer-Brisbane catchments, Qld
  • The Maribyrnong catchment, Vic
  • Livingstone Shire Council area, Qld
  • Stage 3) Synthesis and translation – this stage synthesises the findings from the first two stages to develop tangible research outcomes.

This project will:

• Improve understanding for the functional value of un-disturbed catchments and floodplains in risk mitigation, supporting land-use and urban planning.
• Improve confidence in the application of nature-based solutions to mitigate flood risk in highly populated areas.
• Improve the approach in identifying suitable areas for floodplain conservation and restoration.
• Identify incentives and barriers for communities, industry and government to implement nature-based solutions for mitigating flood risk.