Early warning system for floods and fires

The Central Coast could soon benefit from cutting-edge technology to improve early warnings about floods and bushfires in NSW.

The NSW Government has launched a proof-of-concept phase as part of a $3.3M election commitment to build a natural hazards detection system.

The testing will explore a range of scenarios to enhance the state’s response to natural hazards including innovative technology to detect floods and bushfires that can: support early identification of floodwater across roads; monitor rainfall and soil moisture data to predict floods; identify fire ignitions in remote locations; and monitor soil moisture and fuel loads to support improved fire hazard reduction.

Individual grants of up to $50,000 will be awarded to successful applicants through the program to support the testing of technologies over a six-month period to demonstrate their feasibility and benefits.

The program is being led by the Office of the NSW Chief Scientist and Engineer (OCSE) in collaboration with the NSW Reconstruction Authority (RA).

The initiative directly responds to key recommendations from the 2020 Bushfire Inquiry and the 2022 Flood Inquiry, which called for the use of advanced detection systems to provide earlier warnings and give communities more time to respond to natural hazards.

Businesses are encouraged to submit proposals addressing these challenges, with the potential to progress to the next stage of the program which includes scaling up and piloting technologies in real-world settings.

Applications for Phase 1 are open until early December.

Grant recipients from Phase 1 will be eligible to apply for Phase 2 through a competitive process.

The outcomes of the pilot will help shape the design of a final product, ready for deployment in hazard-prone areas of NSW including the Central Coast.

For more information and to apply, visit: www.chiefscientist.nsw.gov.au/nhds.