Bureau of Meteorology's Flood Warning Infrastructure Network (FWIN) Program
The Bureau of Meteorology is leading an upgrade of Australia's flood warning infrastructure network.
This will improve community access to rain and river level observations and enhance provision of flood forecasts and warnings, supporting disaster preparedness, response and recovery, and helping to make Australia more flood resilient for the future.
The Australian Government has invested up to $236 million for the Bureau to upgrade, acquire and simplify ownership of high priority rain and river gauges, and associated communications equipment, within high priority catchments, over a 10-year period.
Work is beginning in Queensland involving 64 Queensland councils and 43 flood catchments.
The Bureau is consulting with asset owners and stakeholders to identify high priority assets, develop a schedule of works, an acquisition plan, and clarify intersections with other flood warning network upgrade projects.
For the purposes of program delivery, Queensland has been divided into seven regions: Far North Queensland, Townsville to Mackay, Rockhampton to Bundaberg, the north-west, south-east, south and south-west.
Workshops will be held between March and September 2024 in each region. The Bureau is currently scheduling dates for these workshops with the respective Councils. Indicative timeframes are:
- Far North Queensland – March and April 2024
- Rockhampton to Bundaberg – April / May 2024
- North-west – May 2024
- South-east – May / June 2024
- Townsville to Mackay – June/July 2024
- South – July/August 2024
- South-west – August/September 2024
The first works in Queensland will begin in the Far North Queensland region in June 2024, with the full capital works program forecast to take up to five years to complete.
Until the ownership of assets has transferred to the Bureau, asset maintenance remains the responsibility of the existing owners.
If you have any questions feel free to contact us at:
floodinfrastructure@bom.gov.au