Why NFRIP?
Following the devastating floods across Eastern Australia in 2011, the Australian Government initiated the Natural Disaster Insurance Review. This review highlighted the lack of consistency across the country in the way flood risk information was collected, and made available to users. The review also recognised the need for consumers to be aware of the natural disaster risks they may face, as well as the benefits of making flood risk information more readily accessible.
In response to these findings, the Government established the National Flood Risk Information Project (NFRIP), which commenced on 1 July 2012. The four year project aims to improve the quality, availability and accessibility of flood risk information across Australia, and raise community awareness of flood risks.
Project funding has been allocated to develop national guidelines covering the collection and publishing of flood risk information, build a web portal to provide a public access point to existing flood risk information and make historical flood extents obtained from a 30 year record of Landsat satellite imagery publicly available.
The Attorney-General’s Department has the policy lead for the Project and Geoscience Australia has the technical and implementation lead, and will host the portal.
The aim of NFRIP
NFRIP aims to make flood risk information more readily available and encourage improvements in the quality and standard of that information. In doing so, NFRIP supports the objectives of the National Strategy for Disaster Resilience (NSDR) adopted by Council of Australian Governments (COAG) in 2011, specifically, that Governments have effective arrangements in place to inform people about hazard and risk.
NFRIP has the potential to transform the way in which flood risk information is produced. In particular, it will improve the quality of future flood studies, which are critical for many key projects such as the design of infrastructure, land use planning and emergency management.
NFRIP will facilitate access to flood risk information by providing a central location from which all flood risk information can be made available.
By providing access to information on flood risk NFRIP will also assist insurers to offer appropriately priced flood insurance.
Topic contact: hazards@ga.gov.au Last updated: August 31, 2012
