Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) – Severe Wind Hazard Assessment Queensland (SWAQ) project. 

A Study of Severe Wind Risk and Mitigation across the Coastal Councils of Noosa Shire, Sunshine Coast, Moreton Bay, Redland City, Brisbane City, and the City of Gold Coast.

This project builds on a previous project conducted by QFES, the Severe Wind Hazard Assessment project, and will improve understanding of the wind risk associated with the severe wind environment of South East Queensland across, and in partnership with, six local government areas. 

These local governments are: Noosa Shire Council, Sunshine Coast Council, Moreton Bay Regional Council, Redland City Council, Brisbane City Council, and the Council of the City of Gold Coast. 

Objective

The aim is to develop information that will inform future strategies to manage and reduce severe wind risk in these six local government areas. We will also look to replicate and scale across other local governments as the project matures. The project will has a duration of two years (completion end 2022) and be a collaboration between Geoscience Australia, James Cooke University and the University of Queensland. 

Relationship/Partnership

The project collaborators and key stakeholders are: 

• Geoscience Australia − Project leader and research partner 
• James Cooke University, Cyclone Testing Station − Specialist building research partner 
• QFES − State Government EM agency, sponsor, and coordinator 
• Insurance Council of Australia − Representative body, sponsor, and research partner 
• Suncorp – Research partner and sponsor
• Insurance Australia Group - Research partner 
• University of Queensland − Research partner 
• Noosa Shire Council − Local Government stakeholder 
• Sunshine Coast Council − Local Government stakeholder 

Measures of Success

Established relationships with emergency managers and a dialogue about optimal solutions for physical mitigation options across the local government areas.