As one of Australia’s fastest-growing cities, the Gold Coast faces the unique challenge of balancing rapid urban development with the environmental realities of flooding, coastal erosion, and climate change. With five river catchments and 70 km of beachfront, the city has to manage its growth in the face of a range of specific and significant environmental risks.
Alongside traditional forms of flood management and protection, new approaches are emerging with a greater emphasis on sustainability and resilience. Our expert panellists explored how we can better understand, plan for, and manage these risks—paving the way for a Gold Coast that is more resilient and sustainable.
MODERATOR
James Davidson
James Davidson is the founder and Principal of JDA Co. He holds a Doctorate in Architecture, is a former Director of Emergency Architects Australia, and a Winston Churchill Fellow. James authored Waterfutures: Integrated Water and Flood Management Strategies for Enhancing Livability in Southeast Queensland and the Flood Resilient Building Guidance for Queensland Homes for the Queensland State Government. He also led the Flood Resilient Homes Program for Brisbane City Council, the largest flood-resilient built environment project in Australia.As Australia’s leading flood-resilience architect and specialist in climate-adaptive architecture, James is known for his work in remote and complex environments. He has provided architectural services to Significant Heritage Restoration projects and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across Australia. With a strong belief in design advocacy, James approaches architecture as an empirical anthropology, where the creation of architecture is deeply linked to social processes and its material context.
PANELLISTS
Professor Joerg Baumeister
Professor Joerg Baumeister is the founding Director of the SeaCities Lab at Griffith University. With extensive experience as both an architect and engineer, he focuses on imagining and designing sustainable ways to live securely and productively with the sea. His work at the SeaCities Lab is particularly relevant as we face increased risks of coastal inundation and flooding, where innovative solutions beyond traditional floodproofing are urgently needed.
Maree Domelow
Maree Domelow is the Supervising Natural Hazards Planner at the City of Gold Coast. With over two decades of experience in land use planning across both large cities and remote communities, Maree has been instrumental in developing the City’s risk-based approach to managing flood for land use planning. Her expertise lies in balancing urban development with the need for a resilient built and natural environment in the face of increasing natural hazards.
Mark Ryan
Mark Ryan is the General Manager, Disaster and Emergency Management, Local Disaster Coordinator at the City of Gold Coast . With 30 years’ experience in disaster and emergency service across 5 states and territories and a number of local governments, Mark currently spearheads the City’s prevention of, preparedness for, response to and recovery from disasters and emergencies through capability building, community resilience, city resilience, response, relief and recovery.
