Queensland and NSW flooding has highlighted the need for action to prevent damage from future catastrophes, Floodplain Management Australia (FMA) President Ian Dinham says.

Mr Dinham says it’s critical the focus on floodplain issues and mitigation doesn’t lose momentum as weather patterns change and other issues emerge.

“We need to create safer, stronger communities, we need to build back smarter instead of just building exactly where we were and suffering the same thing again,” Mr Dinham told insuranceNEWS.com.au from Toowoomba, where FMA was last week holding its annual conference.

“With these current floods we are hoping it focuses attention on using money a little bit more wisely, and that we take preventative measures so we don’t have the damage over and over and over again, and pay the clean-up costs over and over and over again.”

The conference included a panel discussion on the flooding catastrophe and sessions on modelling, policy, land use planning, insurance issues, climate change and preparedness.

Insurance sector presenters included representatives from the Insurance Council of Australia, IAG and Aon. Other organisations involved included the Queensland Reconstruction Authority.

FMA’s members include local governments, catchment management authorities, agencies, businesses and professionals involved in all aspects of flood risk management.

The conference, which returned to an in-person event this year, is typically attended by about 400 people. Next year’s conference will be held in Sydney.