Strata Flood Planning Guide

Why Strata Flood Planning Is Different

In a strata building, flood risk can affect shared areas, private lots, common property, building services, access routes and multiple occupants at the same time.

This means a flood plan needs to be more than a list of physical risks. It should also explain how the building prepares, who makes decisions, who communicates with occupants and how records are kept when people change roles.

A Strata Flood Plan Should Help Answer

• Who is responsible for flood preparation?
• Who checks shared flood risk areas?
• Who communicates with residents, tenants and owners?
• Who contacts contractors before or after severe weather?
• Where are manuals, reports and maintenance records stored?
• How are new committee members, managers or contractors briefed?
• How is the plan reviewed after a flood event or near miss?

The aim is to make the plan usable even when committee members, managers, residents or contractors change over time.

For a broader starting point on identifying exposure and water pathways, see the Flood Risk Guide. For a practical overview of mitigation measures, see the Flood Mitigation Guide.

Shared Areas And Responsibilities

Strata flood planning should identify the shared areas that may be affected by floodwater and the people or roles responsible for managing them.

This guide does not provide strata legal advice. Responsibility for common property, private lots, maintenance and decision-making should be confirmed through the relevant strata documents, legislation and professional advice where needed.

Shared Areas To Review

• Basement car parks and driveway ramps
• Ground floor lobbies and common entries
• Loading docks and roller doors
• Lift pits and lift access areas
• Electrical rooms, fire pump rooms and plant rooms
• Bin rooms, storage areas and shared corridors
• Drainage pits, trench drains, sump pits and pump systems
• Flood barrier storage locations
• Backflow prevention devices, where present

Responsibility Questions To Clarify

• Is the area common property, private property or mixed-use?
• Who arranges inspection and maintenance?
• Who approves works or obtains quotes?
• Who stores manuals, warranties and service records?
• Who is authorised to contact contractors?
• Who updates residents or tenants if access is affected?

These questions should be answered clearly enough that the plan still works when the usual person is unavailable.

For below-ground parking areas, see Basement Car Park Flood Risk. For commercial or mixed-use access issues, see the Commercial Flood Barrier Guide.

Creating A Strata Flood Action Register

A strata flood action register is a simple way to turn flood planning into assigned tasks. It can help committees and managers track what needs to be reviewed, who is responsible and whether actions have been completed.

The register does not need to be complicated. A spreadsheet, shared document or management system may be enough, provided it is kept current and reviewed regularly.

Useful Action Register Fields

• Flood risk area or item
• Issue or action required
• Priority level
• Responsible person or role
• Contractor or specialist required
• Target date or review date
• Status of the action
• Supporting photos, reports or notes

Example Items To Include

• Review basement car park flood entry points
• Confirm flood barrier storage location
• Update emergency contact list
• Request drainage pit cleaning records
• Confirm pump maintenance schedule
• Review resident communication process
• Store latest photos and maintenance reports in the flood risk file

The action register is useful because it turns a general concern about flooding into visible tasks that can be discussed, assigned and reviewed.

For a broader checklist format, see Flood Resilience Checklists.

Communication With Owners, Residents And Tenants

Flood planning is easier when communication is prepared in advance. During severe weather, unclear messages can delay action or cause confusion.

A strata flood plan should identify who sends messages, who receives them and what information should be communicated before, during and after a flood event or severe weather warning.

Communication Planning Should Cover

• Who sends updates to owners, residents or tenants
• Which communication channels are used
• Who receives emergency or maintenance updates
• How contractors are contacted
• How access restrictions are communicated
• How post-event inspection or cleaning updates are shared
• Where message templates or contact lists are stored

Information Residents May Need

Depending on the building and the situation, residents or tenants may need clear information about:

• Basement car park access restrictions
• Lift outages or service disruptions
• Areas to avoid during severe weather
• Vehicle movement or parking instructions
• Who to contact for building-related updates
• Where official emergency information should be checked

Communication should be practical and consistent. It should not depend on one person having all the information.

Contractor Access And Emergency Contacts

Strata flood planning should include clear contractor and access information. This is especially important for buildings with basement pumps, drainage systems, flood barriers, lift services, electrical rooms or restricted access areas.

Contact information should be reviewed regularly, because contractors, managers, committee members and emergency contacts can change over time.

Contractor Details To Keep

• Flood barrier supplier or installer details
• Drainage maintenance contractor details
• Pump and sump system contractor details
• Lift contractor details
• Electrician or building services contractor details
• Cleaning and restoration contractor details
• Building manager or facilities manager details
• Strata manager and committee contact details

Access Information To Record

• Where keys, access fobs or lockbox details are managed
• Access requirements for pump rooms and plant rooms
• Access requirements for basement car parks or loading docks
• After-hours access process
• Site induction or safety requirements for contractors
• Areas that should not be accessed during unsafe conditions

Access details should be handled securely and only shared with authorised people. The plan should explain where the information is held, not expose sensitive access information publicly.

Maintenance Scheduling And Record Keeping

Maintenance scheduling is one of the most important parts of strata flood planning. Flood protection systems, drains, pumps and backflow prevention measures are easier to manage when inspection and maintenance records are organised.

Records To Keep Together

• Flood risk documentation file
• Flood barrier manuals, photos and service records
• Drainage cleaning records
• Pump and sump system service reports
• Backflow prevention inspection records
• Photos of key flood risk areas
• Meeting notes and decisions related to flood works
• Quotes, approvals and completed work records
• Post-event inspection notes

Review Triggers

A strata flood plan should be reviewed when:

• There is a major rain event, flood event or near miss
• Building works change drainage, access or ground levels
• New flood barriers, pumps or drainage works are installed
• A new strata manager, building manager or contractor is appointed
• Maintenance records show repeated issues
• Emergency contacts or communication processes change

Keeping records current helps the plan remain useful through normal building changes, manager handovers and committee changes.

For more detail on records, see the Flood Risk Documentation Checklist. For maintenance routines, see Regular Maintenance.

Strata Flood Planning Checklist

Use this checklist as a starting point when organising flood planning for a strata property.

Summary

Strata flood planning is mainly about organisation, responsibility and communication. Shared buildings need clear processes so flood preparation does not depend on one person or one informal conversation.

A useful strata flood plan should identify shared flood risk areas, assign responsibilities, maintain an action register, keep contractor details current and store flood-related records somewhere accessible.

The goal is to make flood preparation easier to manage, easier to hand over and easier to review after severe weather or building changes.