Industry invited to comment on electrical infrastructure in flood-prone Qld areas

Industry is being invited to comment on a Queensland Floods Commission of Inquiry recommendation to consider introducing a legislative requirement that electrical substations in buildings be located at or above the defined flood level in Queensland.

Minister for Energy and Water Supply Mark McArdle has released a discussion paper that seeks industry comment on the recommendation.

While electricity distributors recommend electrical equipment be installed above the defined flood level, there is currently no legislation in place to ensure this, McArdle said.

“The location of a substation in a high-rise building is at the discretion of the building owner, and for commercial reasons, this is often in the basement,” McArdle said. “During the 2011 floods, electrical substations located in the basements of several high-rise buildings in the Brisbane CBD were inundated.

“It meant many businesses were evacuated, causing major expense and disruption for building owners and tenants, including the Stamford Plaza Hotel, which was closed for weeks,” he said.

McArdle said the Newman Government is hoping to prevent this happening again and to reduce the financial impact on businesses in future flood events.

Another recommendation is to introduce a mandatory requirement to seal electricity supply conduits below the defined flood level to prevent floodwaters from flowing through them and flooding basements. Feedback is also sought on this recommendation.

Written submissions should be submitted by close of business Friday 31 August. The consultation paper is available here.