Territory Stories

Flood Warning and Damages in Alice Springs: Part 1 Executive Summary. Part 2 Tangible Damages Part 3 Intangible Damages & Emergency Procedures

Details:

Title

Flood Warning and Damages in Alice Springs: Part 1 Executive Summary. Part 2 Tangible Damages Part 3 Intangible Damages & Emergency Procedures

Creator

Handmer, John; Smith, D. I.; Greenaway, Mark

Collection

E-Publications; E-Books; PublicationNT; Report ; 53/1989

Date

1989-04-01

Description

Made available via the Publications (Legal Deposit) Act 2004 (NT).

Notes

Date:1989-04

Language

English

Publisher name

Power and Water Authority

Place of publication

Alice Springs

Series

Report ; 53/1989

File type

application/pdf.

Copyright owner

Check within Publication or with content Publisher.

Parent handle

https://hdl.handle.net/10070/228902

Citation address

https://hdl.handle.net/10070/673596

Page content

Technical Report WRA89053 Viewed at 03:02:00 on 18/02/2010 Page 56 of 139. I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I ~he limits of the Todd flocd-~a~cr. :hese limits are not C3SY co define. rt should ne ~oted that the inundation were ~elatively ~es~rict~d, :he lnaximu~ overfloor depths were rarely mo~e ch2n c~e Ine:re. 'fhe topog~aphy 8f the site hOH'2Ver, is such ~_~hat a sm_~_l.l increase .in. flood level....,. WOU}{-l gre,r!',. 'r-1C'r~-::.<::""' :-he ~~:,....~.pr ,)f r'\r,....n~ ..... :-icc -~ ......... '-''--"1 -~"..-" e,.<....,<:,;:: -_ - !_-,I-!l..J __ ~ 2---,jt~-~"'~---->.J effected. Questions of sa~ety for ~atels and mote:s, retirement homes, the hosp::::a..l ,:ind "':he Aboriqir:al .::ommu:-~l.L./ are ot particula= concern. Of thQ households WiC~l o~erfl~0~ floading, c~ pee :en~ reported stress induc2d emQcion~l 0: 11ealth proble~s as _ result of the flood. The irlcii':icilJals irlVolv9{i ran~e i~ 3ge "rom "n- ila'rf"1 -,,-,,"' '.!('.l'nc ~-,4,:t<:: t'[" >--""-'.6 .;;:,la'~ri~r Tr_-. -,::;'.)m,t:-=": J.. ,~_ ~,,-;:, ........ 1-""-"j .--,._.,_.~_"" '_'_' L_.<;:;'~ '--_ .... _~. _ ..... __ instances there were direc: links to physical heal~h, ec heart conditions and asthma. :n ot~ers the flood experierl~e resulted in stress during perlods o~ heavy ~ain. ~hese results are less seve~e th3n t~ose ~epo~~ed :n a s~udy af the 1 Q 86- S,,-lneu F100'''''' - --' 'j ....... ,. J J.. _ ,----,,"_;0 The fl..l;original commun,i ty D:: rec,~_ damage to prop~ rt! managed by Aboriginal ()t~gani.sat.ions +,.;i':.hin ,;;.,,1ice Spt"_ings Ls estimated at $68,000. 'fllis incllzdes damage from f:ood '-Jd-ters ot11.ur-- t"h~" t~'l= 'POC' .. i R~H.~T" 1;1 ~c'c-it-~...."".,,, ~}-"'r""t)t 7e. '--_ ~. ,--l~ 'i'- ~ ....... <,.J. ... '-~. _~,...... ~'-"_,-' I, --..l-'<..-. ~" __ ' civer bed campers lost all their p03sessions, and ~any people had to seek alternative accomfilocation. However, ~he greatest losses ~n the Aboriginal community were the intanqibles of death, racial tension, and stress and potential healt~ ~ffects. Three Aborig~nes drowned in the Todd. Racial tension may have increased fo~ two reasons; a percept.ion in some qt.;arc.ers that the emergency procedures :,..,'e!:e racist i:l that the Aborigir.a.;' community recei '.led a lower level of service; and c~)mmerH:'S by' some politicians suggesting that the flood would have been controlled by a jam if it. had not been for Ab:]riqi:;al opposition. Floodplain mana.gement Although an dppcopriate policy exists at ~he Territory level, there is effectively no flood related zor:ing in A~ice Springs$ This absence has con::.ribut.ed to a steady incc-:;.3se in potential flood losses. The debate over th2 :'ecrpat~Qn/flo!ld mitigation da2 has been d:Lvisive, between Abo~igi:les d~(f Il0~-Aborigi~es anj wittl;l the non-Aboriginal community. !'!le ~ss~e is s:mply ralscd here d$ it is r\(:t wi'::.~:in ;Y_::r t:,::--i,:?'f.