As of 1 July 2012, the responsibility for water retailing and distribution shall be transferred back to the Gold Coast, Redland and Logan City Councils. However, Unitywater (owned by Moreton Bay and Sunshine Coast councils) and Queensland Urban Utilities (owned by Brisbane, Ipswich, Lockyer Valley, Scenic Rim and Somerset councils) shall retain their current responsibilities for their prospective areas.

It should be noted however that, although Council will be the water and wastewater service provider, the State Government will retain ownership of the bulk water supply. This includes the Hinze Dam and the desalination plant. The State Government will continue to set the wholesale price that Council pays for water.

It is unclear how the transfer of billing rights will affect consumers or prices associated with commercial applications for water and wastewater reticulation.

From 1 July 2012 all information regarding water and wastewater policy and billing shall be located on the relevant council website. For more information please visit council’s website or feel free to contact the office.

AR&R Revision Ensures Australia Keeps Its Head Above Water

As ironic as it may seem for the thousands who have recently endured the long clean up after the Queensland floods, good news is not too far away.

Since 2003, James Ball, an associate professor at the University of Technology, Sydney, has been leading a team of over 100 of Australia’s top hydrologists, engineers and climate scientists to produce a new version of the Australian Rainfall and Runoff (AR&R). The first draft of the document is expected to be released  mid this year.

Since its first publication in 1958 Australian Rainfall and Runoff has been acclaimed as one the most influential and widely used guidelines published by Engineers Australia.  The current edition, published in 1987 is applicable nation wide and plays a forefront role in policy decisions  and design and planning of projects involving infrastructure (including roads, rail, airports bridges dams and stormwater/sewer systems, town planning, mining, flood management and warnings, operation of river systems and estimation of flood events nationally.

However, since the publication of the most recent version of AR&R the engineering society has developed a much deeper understanding of rainfall events and stream flow and the Australian Bureau of Meteorology has developed a much more comprehensive database of rainfall history and projection methods. As such, many of the policies and procedures outlined and recommended within the current document have become outdated and no longer represent the accepted views of industry professionals both in terms of technique and approach to water management.

The Federal Government announced in June 2008 $2 million of funding to assist in the updating of AR&R. In addition, in 2007, the Australian Weather Bureau was granted $450 million over 10 years to transform the way Australia collects and used water information. The organisation currently holds over two terabytes of data in relation to rainfall events. In all, 21 revision projects shall be undertaken in order to fill knowledge gaps and it is estimated that the new AR&R document will cost approximately $20 million to produce.

The  new edition shall see more accurate representations of conditions in flood events and reduce the likelihood of flooding in storm events and shall include a more accurate method for estimating peak flows in regions for which historical rainfall information is not available. The new document is expected to be three times larger than the 1987 edition it replaces.

For more information on how you can protect your property from flooding, please do not hesitate to contact the office and speak to one of our engineers.

Dear Valued Customers,

MORA Consulting Pty. Ltd. formerly known as Mike O’Regan and Associated Pty. Ltd. has undergone a reconstruction. There has been no change in management or personnel and the team is committed to providing the same level of customer service on which we have built our reputation in the industry.

If you are new to MORA, a detailed outline of the services we offer and the history of the company as well as current projects can be found under the about us tab. At MORA we understand the construction industry and that each project is unique. As such we are committed to ensuring that a tailor solution that is both economically and environmentally friendly is produced for your site in a professional and timely fashion. Please feel free to contact one of our engineers or consultants to experience the difference.

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