Australian legal, health and environmental experts comment on Sydney’s floods

Sydney has experienced another flooding event over the weekend and as the Camden Sports Club ‘Sporties’ currently assesses the damage sustained, a number of Australian legal, health and environmental experts comment on the flooding that has hit Sydney for the third time in two years.

For ‘Sporties’, the water has receded and they are now able to access the Camden Sports Club. Their statement released on Facebook notes they are “very thankful for the decisions made and the help received on Saturday to relocate everything upstairs. It came in much higher this time and we certainly would have lost a lot more if it was not for everyone's hard work and forward planning.

“Not sure what we can do today, getting the water off the greens and washing out flood water from inside the club will be high on the list. We thank everyone in advance for the offers of help. We will keep everyone updated with what is going on and hopefully we won't be down and out for too long.”

With more than 32,000 residents across New South Wales having been told to evacuate their homes as the state is hit with a heavy deluge triggering widespread floods, Professor of Business Law at the University of South Australia Jennifer McKay, an expert in the legal aspects of natural resources management comments “we need state laws or national laws to require flood susceptibility to be a part of the decision making process for urban settlements. Climate change and the enhanced risks that come with it must be considered, and this must apply the precautionary principle to not place residents and emergency service workers at risk in the more severe events that we can expect.

“I think we need a national cabinet approach to this guided by experts to set the standards. Otherwise, litigation will occur and also insurance will be impossible to attain and everyone will endure higher premiums.”

Dr Amy Peden, a Research Fellow in the School of Population Health at UNSW notes "the Sydney floods have already turned deadly, with the drowning of a man in the Paramatta River. In addition, there have been hundreds of rescues with people who have driven into or walked into floodwaters. Drowning is the leading cause of death during times of flood, due to people entering floodwater either in vehicles or on foot. Floodwaters can hide hidden dangers including strong currents, submerged objects and damaged roads and bridges. It is absolutely vital that people heed emergency warnings and avoid entering floodwaters at all costs."

Dr Agus Santoso, a senior scientist at the UNSW Climate Change Research Centre adds "the flood risk over eastern Australia has remained high due to saturated soil and high dam levels through the back-to-back La Nina years since 2020.  Therefore, any weather systems that bring extreme rains could lead to flooding, despite La Nina being declared 'over' by the Bureau of Meteorology.  

“In addition, a negative Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) event is forming, and is forecasted to intensify into spring.  A negative IOD, marked by warming off northwestern Australia and over Indonesia, brings higher-than-normal rainfall across the southern parts of Australia, including NSW and Victoria. 

“Moreover, there is about 60% probability that a La Nina may re-emerge in summer.   So, we should still be alert to the possibility of more flooding in the coming months."

Image courtesy Camden Sports Club “Sporties” Facebook