Residents along Lorward Avenue in Bardon are set to see flood relief, with a major stormwater drainage upgrade now underway and due for completion by June 2026. The project aims to reduce the risk of localised flooding in a street that sits within the catchment of Ithaca Creek, a waterway that floods on a regular basis.
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The works involve installing new stormwater pipes and pits to increase the capacity of the underground drainage network. The upgraded system is designed to carry additional stormwater flows to Ithaca Creek, improving the overall performance of the network during significant rainfall events.
To keep surface disruption to a minimum, Brisbane said micro-tunnelling techniques are being used, a method that minimises surface disruption while enabling new infrastructure to be put in place.
One key aspect of the works involves securing access to a property at 37A Lorward Avenue, which sits close to a critical section of the new stormwater pipe. An easement has also been obtained across land through the Karalee Country Club, an arrangement that, according to Cr Seal Chong Wah, proceeded without opposition from the club’s owners.
Cr Wah, who spoke in support of the project in chambers late last year, described the upgrade as delivering “much needed new drainage infrastructure” for the area. The project is expected to provide a 10-year Average Recurrence Interval (ARI) immunity from stormwater flooding, a technical benchmark that measures how often a flood of a given size is likely to occur. There are also hopes the works will reduce sewage overflows during storm events, something Cr Wah noted had been “quite disturbing to this community.”
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“We have the largest amount of development on any flood plain in Australia, and the consequences of that in a climate crisis world will be challenging – probably devastating. It is critical that this council invests in flood and climate resilience,” she wrote.
Residents with questions about the Lorward Avenue works can contact Brisbane on 07 3403 8888.
Published 31-March-2026
