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2002 (c) Peninsula Community Access Newspaper Inc

 

Warning on flood insurance

 

An assessor has warned that insurance against flooding on the Peninsula may be increasingly difficult to obtain.

The assessor made the comment on inspecting Brisbane Water Secondary College, where the Woy Woy campus school hall was flooded to a depth of 12cm during recent heavy rain.

Representatives from the Education Department, GIO insurance and the Public Works Department examined the flood damage to decide what would happen with the hall floor.

The insurance assessor said that due to climate changes, including global warming, insurance companies no longer recognised "one-in-100 year" flood levels.

He said that given the flatness, poor drainage and the proximity of the school to the waterfront, it was possible that the hall could be flooded again.

He asked Education and Public Works Department to take action to protect the hall from further flooding.

During the rain, some sports equipment and the Physical Education staff room were also flooded.

Water leaked into the Social Science storeroom in "J" block and the History storeroom in the library and ruined about 450 textbooks.

The Industrial Arts "dungeon" storeroom had about 12cm of water in it but there was no damage done.

Had it been later in the year, it would have affected the HSC major projects stored in this area.

School newsletter, April 5