Floodplain Management Australia (FMA) has announced a joint effort between consulting engineers BG&E and Main Roads WA as the winner of the 2025 FMA IAG Flood Risk Management Project of the Year Award.
The winning project, the Fitzroy River Bridge Replacement, was undertaken in the Kimberly, Western Australia, after the bridge was destroyed by flooding caused by Cyclone Ellie between December 2022 and January 2023. The Fitzroy River Bridge is a vital transportation link on the Great Northern Highway between the East and West Kimberly regions of Western Australia and the only sealed road between Broome and the Northern Territory.
The loss of the bridge impacted and isolated dozens of remote communities, leaving supermarket shelves bare, and caused significant freight and transport diversions.
Outstanding aspects of the project included the timely design and delivery (six months ahead of schedule and before the next wet season), a new bridge that can withstand extreme flood events, and the employment for more than 240 local workers who gained new skills and undertook nationally recognised training programs. The project also engaged 26 Aboriginal owned businesses from across the region.
Community partnerships developed during the project have led to significantly increased understanding of flood risk and improved resilience of local communities.
FMA President, Sue Ribbons, said the FMA IAG Excellence Award aims to recognise and promote the invaluable work individuals and organisations do to better prepare their community for floods.
“We’re pleased to present BG&E and Main Roads WA with this prestigious Award. The comprehensive work that was undertaken to complete this urgent and challenging project is remarkable.” Ms Ribbons said.
“The alliance approach used by BG&E and Main Roads WA, in collaboration with contractors Georgiou and BMD, demonstrates how collaboration and knowledge sharing can improve delivery and outcomes for complex flood risk management projects. The project team also utilised the expertise of the Bureau of Meteorology and the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation to enhance weather forecasting and to ensure timely evacuation warnings.
“This project was not only hugely impactful for local communities who had been isolated, but shows that flood recovery does not need to be a lengthy process.”
As the winner of the Excellence Award, the project team will receive $10,000 for a flood risk management or education activity.
IAG Manager Flood, Bushfire, Coastal & Climate Risk, Andrew Dyer, said: “This project was critical for the safety, support and security of dozens of communities in the region left isolated and without access to critical supplies following the severe flooding due to Cyclone Ellie,” Mr Dyer said.
“We congratulate BG&E and Main Roads WA on completing the project ahead of time and improving the resilience of the bridge to future flooding, which will ultimately help make these communities safer into the future.”
The winner of the FMA IAG Excellence Award was announced at this year’s FMA National Conference in Melbourne on the 15 May 2025.
(ENDS)
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Floodplain Management Australia
President Sue Ribbons
