Lockyer Valley Regional Council continues to bolster community safety during floods, installing two new flood cameras and new electronic warning signs at seven high-risk sites.
The new infrastructure, made possible with assistance from the Commonwealth and Queensland governments through the Queensland Resilience and Risk Reduction Fund in partnership with Council, will enable motorists to accurately assess their risks and deter them from driving through floodwater.
Chair of the Local Disaster Management Group, Mayor Tanya Milligan said it brings the total number of flood monitoring cameras across the region to 15, two of which capture images in several directions.
“Council has recently installed two new flood monitoring cameras – one on the corner of Forest Hill-Fernvale Road and Old Laidley Forest Hill Road, and another on Mount Sylvia Road near Mount Sylvia State School,” she said.
“In addition, we’ve installed new electronic flood warning systems on seven flood-prone roads and upgraded the electronic signage at Woodlands Road, Glen Cairn.
“These new signs can be automatically activated when the water levels in nearby creeks or waterways reach a predefined level, or they can be remotely activated using a computer or mobile phone.
“This not only improves safety for motorists but reduces the need for Council staff to put themselves in harm’s way to install signage.”
There are three types of signs: ‘Road Closed Ahead’, which alert motorists that the road ahead is subject to flooding, ‘Road Closed – No Entry’, which are illegal to drive past, and flashing warning lights known as ‘WigWags’, which warn of the possibility of flooding ahead or flood impacts, such as debris or silt on the road.
In Queensland, driving into floodwater is the number one cause of flood-related deaths, Mayor Milligan said.
“We implore the community to heed this signage and take advantage of the flood monitoring cameras, which can be viewed on Council’s Disaster Dashboard https://disaster.lvrc.qld.gov.au/ and Council’s website,” she said.
“We also remind motorists that driving through floodwater and closed roads is not only highly dangerous but could potentially affect eligibility for insurance claims.
“Council is always looking to improve the region’s flood resilience and we thank the Commonwealth and State governments for providing funding to help keep our communities safe.”
The new signs are located at:
- Redbank Creek Crossing, Redbank Creek Road, Adare
- 849 and 2239 Flagstone Creek Road, Flagstone Creek
- Corners of Forest Hill-Fernvale Road and Old Laidley Forest Hill Road, and Old Laidley Forest Hill Road and Laidley Plainland Road
- Allan Street Bridge, Gatton
- 466 and 499 Flagstone Creek Road, Lilydale
- Lorikeet Road and Gehrke Road near the floodway, Regency Downs
- 23 and 142 Winwill Connection Road, Tenthill Creek
