This project was commissioned and funded entirely by the Tasmanian State Government.

The June 2016 Launceston flood provides a significant opportunity to review the actual cost versus benefit from the significant mitigation works recently contracted to protect the city. The investment in flood mitigation works for flood-prone communities is expensive and the benefits may take many years to be realised. These strategies largely focus on reducing the flood hazard of communities through the construction of flood levees, but increasingly other strategies are being included that are directed at the exposed community buildings.  

This project included building focused mitigation through the application of Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC research. It also entailed the collaboration of a range of end-users and stakeholders to assess the benefit versus cost of the recently undertaken structural mitigation works in Launceston to reduce community flood risk. It assessed the effectiveness of further investment in mitigation works to reduce the residual flood risk. Key end-user partners in this project include the Tasmanian Department of Premier and Cabinet, Tasmania State Emergency Service, the City of Launceston, Launceston Flood Authority and the Northern Midlands Council.

Read the final report here.