Natural Hazards
To view Natural Hazard mapping layers for bushfire, flood and storm tides, or landslides visit the Redlands Coast Disaster Dashboard.
Bushfire
Current mapping suggests that Birkdale has a number of areas of bushfire hazards ranging from medium to high bushfire hazard. Some of these bushland areas have thick vegetation up to property boundaries and along road reserves; such as the Judy Holt Recreation Reserve, Birkdale Recycling and Waste centre, through to properties surrounding Sunnybay Drive Park and Tulloch Drive Park to Collingwood Road. There is also a large area of medium bushfire hazard fronting the south-eastern boundary of the Birkdale Golf Club, however there is limited residential development in this area.
Properties that are adjacent to bushland areas may be at risk of ember attack should there be a bushfire in the vicinity. During a wildfire, embers can travel up to 3km in front of a fire line which means residents need to be vigilant and be prepared. For more information about bushfire preparedness and what to do during a bushfire, visit the Queensland Fire Emergency Services website to create your Bushfire Survival Plan.
Redland City Council employs a range of fire mitigation strategies to reduce the risk of bushfire on Council owned land and impact to surrounding areas. These strategies include hazard reduction burning (back burns), fire breaks and weed management. Redland City Council works with its Local Disaster Management Group partners to undertake fire mitigation activities around the city.
Flood Prone, Storm Tide
Tingalpa Creek forms the boundary between Brisbane and Redland cities; below Leslie Harrison dam the creek flows past open space, sporting fields and low lying land before flowing into Waterloo Bay. Current mapping shows that parts of Birkdale will experience impacts from flooding due to having areas bordering both the Tingalpa Creek and the coastline as well as having areas of overland flow running throughout the suburb. Coastal areas near Aquatic Paradise may experience tidal inundation during a storm tide event. At highest risk are properties around Queens Esplanade and Agnes Street to the West of Aquatic Paradise and to the east, tidal inundation may push as far inland as Birkdale Road, impacting properties along Bath Street, Thomas Street, Cavell Street and Murray Street.
Seqwater has developed a comprehensive Emergency Action Plan for the Leslie Harrison Dam to meet the requirements of the Water Supply (Safety and Reliability) Act 2008 in order to manage any crisis or dam failure.
Potential flooding along Tingalpa Creek in Birkdale as a consequence of storm tide, appears to have limited affects on properties adjacent the creek apart from the Birkdale Golf Club, which would see its fairways heavily impacted. Also impacting the Golf Club fairways and surrounding acreage and bushland areas is overland flow, resulting from heavy rainfall events. Current mapping indicates that this type of flooding may impact a small number of homes and businesses along Birkdale Road and Collingwood Road.
There is potential for flooding along Tarradarrapin Creek which is flanked by narrow corridors of park or conservation land. The catchment covers the suburb of Birkdale, the edges of Alexandra Hills and Wellington Point. Many stretches of the creek are channelled, including the modified estuaries that are hard lined into Aquatic Paradise and Sovereign Waters. There is a bio-retention basin and swale on a western tributary of Tarradarrapin Creek (between Quarry Road and Birkdale Road). This tributary flows into Woodgate Canal of the Aquatic Paradise canal estate, Birkdale. There are closed landfill sites in Birkdale (Judy Holt Park and adjoining property) and Wellington Point (upstream of Sovereign Waters).
Landslide
Landslide Hazard mapping indicates that Birkdale’s residential area has a limited risk of landslide, with only some properties showing a low landslide hazard. The Birkdale Landfill and the Judy Holt Sports Field adjoining Old Cleveland Road East have been identified as being a medium landslide hazard.
Any structures built in this area would need to comply with the requirements of the Redland City Plan which, through the Landslide Hazard Overlay attempts to mitigate the impacts of the landslide hazard by requiring more robust engineering for developments built within the identified landslide hazard areas. It is important for engineers and geologists to evaluate slope stability and any landslide threat during development assessments so that effective and timely remedial measures can be implemented.
Critical Infrastructure
Critical infrastructure at the time of a disaster event includes utilities such as power, water, sewerage, telecommunications, gas, and road and rail networks. Impacts of a disaster on these services may have far-reaching long-term effects for mainland communities.
Sewage
Birkdale’s residential areas are connected to the sewer network which links into the Thorneside Wastewater Treatment Plant, located off Quarry Road. Current hazard mapping indicates that it may experience impacts from tidal inundation during an extreme storm tide event.
Birkdale has a small number of acreage properties located to the west of Birkdale Road that are not sewered and rely on a mix of gravity-fed septic systems and on-site sewerage treatment plants located on the properties to manage the wastewater. The on-site sewerage treatment plants require electricity to function, therefore it is recommended that these systems have a back-up generator to cope with extended periods of power outages which can occur during severe weather events. Many of the RCC sewage pumping stations have fixed generators onsite to provide backup power in the event of a power failure. Those that do not have fixed generators have the facilities to plug in a portable generator; several are available that can be taken to any site that requires it.
Water
Birkdale receives its water supply from the Alexandra Hills Reservoir located at Alexandra Circuit. This reservoir services the Redland City’s northern suburbs via a pipeline network that is both gravity-fed and pressurised. The reservoir holds a mix of water from the Leslie Harrison Dam and the Herring Lagoon bore field on North Stradbroke Island.
This is possible because the Alexandra Hills Reservoir connects to both the Leslie Harrison Dam and the Mount Cotton Reservoir at Tallow Wood Court. The Mount Cotton Reservoir is in turn connected to the Heinemann Road Reservoir in Mount Cotton, which connects to both the SEQ Water Grid and North Stradbroke Island.
Redland City is connected to the water grid via a pump station on Gramzow Road in Mount Cotton, which allows water to be pumped to and from the city via the Heinemann Road Reservoir. This network of reservoirs, pump stations and pipelines ensures that water can be moved around the network and that multiple water supplies are available to residents living in all areas Redland City.
Electricity
Birkdale has even mix of both overhead and underground powerline networks servicing the suburb. This mix is due to the established farming and acreage areas of Birkdale that have been sub-divided for urban development. The overhead powerlines are more susceptible to damage during severe weather which can result in power outages and fallen powerlines.
Fallen powerlines can cause significant dangers to the community, so be aware that any object in contact with powerlines could be live. The area surrounding fallen powerlines is more dangerous in wet conditions as sea and tap water are an excellent conductor of electricity.
Energex offer a notification service for Emergency and Planned outages, and other alerts such as upcoming meter read if dogs are onsite or for certain customer service work requests. Click here to go to the Energex Notifications page to Register for this notification service.
Remember: any metallic objects, including fences, will be electrified if they touch or are even close to a live fallen powerline. Even a tree branch can be a potential conductor of electricity if it is in contact with a live wire. Stay away from fallen powerlines and alert others of the danger – contact 000 or Energex on 13 19 62.
Gas
There is no domestic reticulated gas service within Redland City and there is no gas main that runs through the suburb of Birkdale. There are however, homes within the area that use gas bottles to service hot water systems and cooking appliances. Residents are reminded to be diligent with the appropriate storage and maintenance of any gas bottles that they have located on their property.
Telecommunications
Birkdale is connected via landlines to the telecommunications and data networks. There is good mobile network coverage in Birkdale with limited to no mobile reception black spots in the area. Telstra is the major supplier of telecommunications to the region; other suppliers include Optus and Vodafone.
Connection to the National Broadband Network (NBN) is now available across the majority of Australia, with various connection types for both wired (copper, fibre optic, and hybrid fibre-coaxial) and radio (satellite and fixed wireless). It is important to know the type of connection you have; fibre to the building (FTTB), fibre to the curb (FTTC), fibre to the node (FTTN), fibre to the premises (FTTP), or hybrid fibre-coaxial (HFC), there is also satellite or fixed wireless. The majority of connections are FTTN and FTTP, closely followed by HFC.
It is important to note that any equipment connected via the NBN will not work during a power outage, including VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) phones. For more information about what happens in a power blackout for the type of connection at your residence, please go to https://www.nbnco.com.au/learn/what-happens-in-a-power-blackout. Certain connection types can request battery back-up solutions through their internet service provider; battery back-up is required for all Priority Assistance customers who suffer from a diagnosed life-threatening illness.
If you have a medical alarm, emergency call button, autodialler, security alarm, monitored fire alarm or lift emergency phones at your premises, please contact your equipment provider to confirm whether your equipment will work via the network in the event of a power outage. Further information is also available on the NBN website and how to register these devices; this assists the NBN in identifying premises where support maybe be required to minimise service outages https://www.nbnco.com.au/learn/device-compatibility.
Harbours and Marinas
Situated within Birkdale is the canal estate of Aquatic Paradise. Aquatic Paradise is a relatively small canal estate that does not have a central marina area. Canal traffic and infrastructure is confined to the homes that front the canal. Whilst current mapping indicates limited impacts from storm surge, residents should be prepared for the possibility of their homes experiencing tidal inundation during an extreme storm tide event.
Road Network
REMEMBER: If it’s flooded, forget it! – BACK IT UP!
Summer months bring rain, cyclones and unstable weather conditions to Queensland. More than half of flood related deaths in Queensland are the result of people driving through floodwater. It can happen anywhere – roads, creeks, dams, parks or backyards. Residents should be aware of the dangers connected to floodwater or swift flowing water such as: slippery surfaces; uneven ground; strong currents; sharp objects; electrical current; fences; vehicles; rocks; long grass; tree branches; sewerage; and chemicals.
If you get trapped in floodwater, you not only put your life and the lives of the people with you at risk, but you also put the lives of the rescuers at risk too.
Localised flooding may temporarily restrict access and cut roads in some areas of Redland City. Please consider this when planning to drive during periods of heavy rain. See a list of the areas that may be impacted by localised flooding.
Don’t wait until it’s too late. Plan ahead and keep yourself, family and friends safe. Check out the Floodwater Safety information available here https://www.qfes.qld.gov.au/prepare/flooding.
Rail Network
The rail network enters Redland City via Thorneside, crossing the Tingalpa Creek to the north of the Thorneside Wastewater Treatment Plant and continues on to the Thorneside Station. From Thorneside Station the rail network continues east to Birkdale Station and Wellington Point Station where the line turns south-east to Ormiston Station and Cleveland Station where it terminates.
Current Flood Prone, Storm Tide mapping indicates the possibility of the rail network being cut by flood water on the Redland City side of Tingalpa Creek, north of the Thorneside Station. If this were to occur, rail transport in and out of Redland City would be cut along with rail access to Brisbane City. This would prevent any evacuations via rail to the RNA Showgrounds, which is the primary evacuation centre for Brisbane and an alternate evacuation centre for Redland City residents should the city’s infrastructure be significantly compromised by a disaster event.