Stories

In light of the severe flooding events that recently occurred across Australia’s east coast cities and left a devastating impact on communities across Queensland and New South Wales, KBR’s Infrastructure Services (IS) business is working to unlock pathways that address floodplain management challenges across the nation.

Year in and year out, natural disasters such as the recent floods are becoming increasingly frequent, forcing us to rethink how we respond to such challenges before they escalate and impose serious threats to our environment and our communities.

By working alongside councils, governments and organisations during the early planning phase of projects, KBR is helping to identify flood risk and develop sustainable management strategies to protect residents into the future.

Cooks River in Sydney’s southeast is just one of the waterways where local properties and residents are facing flooding risks. As the lead consultant of the collaborative catchment-wide Cooks River Flood Study, KBR’s specialist group of water resources engineers and scientists are working alongside seven local Councils on Stage 1 of the study to develop a strategic framework that will guide the delivery of future floodplain management studies, including recommendations on climate change considerations.

First inhabited by the Indigenous peoples of Darug and Eora nations, the 23km long urban waterway runs through Chullora from Graf Park, Yagoona to Botany Bay in Kyeemagh and serves as part of a stormwater system for more than 100km² of watershed.

With input from the Department of Planning and Environment New South Wales (DPE NSW), the Cooks River Alliance, the NSW State Emergency Service (SES), and Sydney Water, KBR’s water resources team will integrate seamlessly across the seven Cooks River Councils to offer collaborative and strategic client-side support and develop a strategy through three predominant phases.

Firstly, KBR will collect drainage and flood data, flood models, and studies from partner Councils, Transport for NSW, the Cooks River Alliance and other relevant agencies and associations in the Cooks River catchment. The team will then review current floodplain management approaches across partner Councils, highlighting opportunities for new approaches. From this, KBR will develop a strategic framework that outlines a coordinated catchment-wide flood risk management approach for all associated Councils to adopt into the future to subvert the risks imposed by flooding.

Surpassing municipal boundaries, KBR will leverage its connections across the water industry and draw from its best practice floodplain management approaches to support the Councils in developing a sustainable framework that ensures the security of the region, the safety of the community, and preserves the natural environment.

“With the severe weather events we’re continuing to see across Australia, forward-thinking resilience projects like this are critical  to mitigating the effects of future natural disasters, and we’re pleased to support Councils to implement strategies that help protect and build more resilient communities,” says Wayne Nolan, Vice President, Infrastructure Services Australia.  

With the team set to scope Stage 2 of the study as they grow a collaborative partnership with the relevant stakeholders, KBR’s IS business is well positioned to continue unlocking pathways toward the best water outcomes and realise its goals to provide our valued customers with strategic solutions through the full water cycle.