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Flood Mitigation

Mr. Stier: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Like many others, I was shocked to read the Auditor General’s report yesterday. More than two years after the floods of 2013 this report says that this tired PC government has no real plan in place for effective flood mitigation. Among other things, the AG chastised this government for not having up-to-date flood maps, not having adequate risk assessment processes, and not having systems to assess the cumulative effects of mitigation projects. In short, an overall lack of due diligence is taking place. To the minister: why aren’t you taking the proper steps . . .
The Speaker: Thank you. Let’s hear from the minister.

Mr. Fawcett: Mr. Speaker, this government has acted quite swiftly in the aftermath of the floods to undertake important risk-mitigation strategies such as building flood mitigation. This government has invested well over a hundred million dollars in the flood erosion control program. We’ve announced a program, and you will see money in the budget for the Alberta community resiliency program, and we’ve continued to work with affected stakeholders along the Elbow rivershed and the Highwood rivershed on large flood mitigation projects.

The Speaker: Thank you. First supplemental.
2:00

Mr. Stier: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, last year in High River this government paid for two costly engineering reports on diversion plans, spent $30 million on flood mitigation projects, and now realizes that these original reports are in fact not acceptable. This stems, actually, from a third report from a company called Deltares, which has now been accepted as a preferred solution. Now, we all know we need to get to the right result here, but thorough, proven planning is part of that process. To the minister:
has all this wasted time and money in High River due to apparent poor planning put this community at any added risk for this upcoming flood season?

Mr. Fawcett: Mr. Speaker, there have been hundreds of millions of dollars invested by this government working with the town of High River on the berms and dikes in High River to protect that community. That is action. The majority of that money was in place for last year’s flood season, and we are continuing to enhance this. These are very complex issues that include impacts on upstream and downstream landowners and communities, of which there are also serious environmental impacts. We need to make sure we get this right. But we have moved, and we have seen action on this item.

The Speaker: Thank you.

Mr. Stier: Yeah, well, the same government recently proposed another theoretical diversion project in Springbank. When this plan goes forward, it will render acres and acres of rich farmland, prime development property, to a point of sterilization and leave Bragg Creek actually unprotected. We all want to protect our communities, but the Auditor General’s report is clear. Not only does this government not have a plan; it doesn’t even have the tools and capacity to make a plan. To the minister: what different steps are you taking to ensure that this Springbank project won’t end up like the costly projects in High River that are now being replaced?

Mr. Fawcett: Mr. Speaker, first this member is arguing that we aren’t taking action, and then he’s arguing that we shouldn’t be taking on action for a project that makes the most sense based on all the studies and materials that we’ve been able to gather up to this point. This Premier has been very clear. It’s time for action. All of the studies and feasibility studies and environmental assessments that have been done suggest the best plan to protect the communities in Calgary from flooding is the development of the Springbank reservoir, and we’re moving forward with that project.