Client: Federal Department of Climate Change

Location: Pimpama Catchment, Northern Gold Coast, QLD

Key Services Provided:

• Floodplain Modelling
• Estuarine Modelling
• Coastal Processes (including storm surge & tidal erosion) advice

Overview

Water Technology was part of a multi-disciplinary team examining the potential impacts of climate change on the coastline and ecosystems of the Pimpama River, and adjacent parts of southern Moreton Bay.

The southern bay is a unique network of channels and low islands. The area is important for cane production, aquaculture, recreation, tourism and, increasingly, urban development. Extensive mangrove and seagrass areas are important contributors to the fisheries of the bay. The district’s low lying nature means both the estuarine and land based activities are vulnerable to changes in sea level, storm surge and flooding.

Water Technology undertook both floodplain and estuarine hydrodynamic modelling to quantify the physical changes likely to be imposed on the area through climate change. These results were used to assess the risks posed to community infrastructure. The results were also used as inputs to the eco-system response models to quantify changes in habitat/coastal processes faced by the existing eco-systems.

Comparison with a simple elevation (bathtub) model of inundation showed that the bathtub modelling produced highly erroneous mapping. The models also provided useful data on channel velocities, which was used to predict vulnerability to tidal erosion.

Contact:

Steve Clark (steve.clark@watech.com.au)
Director
Phone 07 3103 4120
PO Box 5700, West End QLD 4101