Banana Shire implements GeoVision for disaster management

Central Queensland’s Banana Shire Council has implemented GeoVision technology in order to improve disaster management in the area.

The region boasts nutrient-rich soil, but it also sits on floodplains that cause regular flooding from three local rivers and overflow from the two closest dams.

“In 2010 we had a flood event so big that the whole town of Theodore had to be evacuated by helicopter,” said Peter Lefel, Principal GIS Coordinator, Banana Shire Council.

The following 2013 Cyclone Oswald and 2015 Cyclone Marcia resulted in a significant upgrade of the council’s existing Disaster Management Plan and the introduction of a Floodplain Management Plan.

“We wanted to find a way to provide earlier warnings to people who may be affected by floods, so they could evacuate sooner,” said Lefel.

In the process of modernising the resources of the Local Disaster Coordination Centre (LDCC), the council identified the need to develop a clear understanding of where people were located throughout the region and how likely a flood event would affect them. To date, the LDCC had utilised paper maps, which were stored in a metal trunk.

“We’re in an era where technology provides us with the solutions,” said Dan Paull, CEO, PSMA Australia. “Geospatial data plays an incredibly important role in understanding the environment and how it interacts with people, land, property assets and emergency services.”

As the Principal GIS Coordinator for the LDCC, Lefel was responsible for providing location intelligence and creating spatial datasets such as a new Emergency Alert Polygon (EAP) that could gather residents’ phone numbers to send emergency text messages informing them of event warnings pertinent to their immediate location.

Twelve months earlier, Pitney Bowes had developed an enhanced version of PSMA’s Geoscape to establish the GeoVision dataset. This suite of 3D built environment dataset features addresses, postcodes and ABS Census data designed to inform local government decision-making.

When Banana Shire Council decided to implement GeoVision in its emergency planning and disaster management it became the first council in Australia to use such data for this purpose.

“We chose GeoVision because its foundational dataset, Geoscape, is the only data available today that shows all buildings within the Shire,” said Lefel.

“No other product has captured the same level of accuracy, as this type of data hasn’t been available until now.”

“Thankfully, Council has not yet had to use this data for a flood event, but we are ready for when it does happen. As we add more information to the system, we’ll be able to use it more effectively as an early-warning tool. Also, we’ll be able to provide information to residents that can help them make decisions such as whether to raise their floor heights or make other changes to keep their property safe in a flood.”

This initial case study has helped other councils understand GeoVision’s potential for informing local government decisions related to bushfire risk, swimming pool compliance, land zoning and infrastructure planning.

“The types of applications for GeoVision, both in the public sector and commercial space, are growing every day as people understand the value captured in the dataset,” said Nigel Lester, Managing Director Software Solutions, Pitney Bowes Australia.

Image courtesy of PSMA.

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