Best practice land use planning and cost-effective tools to assure safety downstream of private dams

Abstract

Communities are at threat because of the potential severe consequences of private dam failure. Such threat exists due to inadequate land use planning and safety assurance policy for water storage and downstream developments which must be integrated if lives and public and private property are to be saved. This paper aims to explore the interrelated policy, responsibility, cost-sharing and engineering issues associated with farm dam safety to mitigate failure threats to both existing and future downstream developments. Key insights into the design of best-practice integrated land use planning and safety assurance policy are provided based on (1) review of practice in Australia and internationally, underpinned by relevant theoretical principles, and (2) development of a cost-effective flood safety review/design tool to help policy-makers address cost sharing issues. The novel guidance and tool developed can help jurisdictions world-wide address the threats associated with farm dams and both existing and future land developments.