Sheldon disaster profile
Sheldon is a semi-rural suburb characterised by extensive bushland, conservation areas and large residential properties. The suburb contains significant areas of protected habitat, including parts of the Koala Bushland Coordinated Conservation Area.
On this page:
Natural hazards
All natural hazards are possible. Understanding your risk and taking steps to prepare can help reduce the impacts of a disaster.
Use the Hazard Areas interactive map layers on the Redlands Coast Disaster Dashboard to help identify bushfire, flood/storm tide and landslide risk in your area.
Severe thunderstorms are the most common local natural hazard. Thunderstorms can develop quickly and bring heavy rain, damaging winds and lightning, resulting in localised flooding, power outages, fallen trees and debris hazards. Lightning associated with thunderstorms may also ignite bushfires.
Other potential natural hazards at Sheldon include:
Bushfire
Sheldon has a significant bushfire risk, with much of the suburb identified as having a medium to high bushfire hazard. The suburb is characterised by large acreage properties surrounded by bushland, with many homes located well back from the road and accessed by long driveways. These conditions can make evacuation more challenging during a bushfire event.
Because bushfire is a risk to all properties in Redland City, all residents should have a bushfire survival plan and all properties should be bushfire ready.
You can see bushfire hazard mapping for your area on the Redlands Coast Disaster Dashboard.
Properties adjacent to bushland are at higher risk of ember attack. Even if your property is not adjacent to bushland, ember attack is still a real risk as embers can travel kilometres ahead of a fire.
Council utilises a range of fire mitigation strategies to reduce the risk of bushfire on Council owned land and impact to surrounding areas. For more information, visit Bushfire risk mitigation program and check out the Planned Burn Program page for a map and list of locations.
For bushfire preparedness, visit the Queensland Fire Department website.
Flood / storm tide
Sheldon's primary flood risk is localised creek flooding and flash flooding associated with heavy rainfall.
Several creek systems pass through the suburb, including the upper reaches of Tingalpa Creek and Hilliards Creek. While current flood mapping indicates limited impacts to most residential development, flash flooding may occur during significant rainfall events, particularly along sections of Avalon Road where flooding has occurred historically.
Visit Catchment areas of the Redlands to find out more about the creeks and waterways in Sheldon.
Residents should check creek flood mapping and storm tide mapping information for their suburb.
Local roads and access routes may be temporarily affected during severe weather. Check the Disaster Dashboard and Flood Cameras for the latest road conditions to plan the safest routes during severe weather.
Landslide
Sheldon generally has a low risk of landslide due to the suburb's terrain.
While most of the suburb is identified as having a low landslide hazard, there are some isolated pockets of medium to high risk. Due to the area's predominantly rural character and low-density development, the potential impacts of landslides are generally limited.
Most residential development is located adjacent to, not within, identified landslide risk areas.
You can see landslide hazard mapping for your area on the Redlands Coast Disaster Dashboard.
For more information on landslides, visit Get Ready Queensland.
Learn more about natural disaster risks on Redlands Coast.
Critical infrastructure
Critical infrastructure in Sheldon includes electricity, water supply infrastructure, telecommunications and road networks.
As a predominantly rural-residential suburb, many properties rely on private infrastructure such as septic systems, generators and water storage.
Major transport routes including Mount Cotton Road and boundaries shared with surrounding urban centres make reliable road access important during emergencies.
Preparing for service disruptions
During a disaster, essential services may be disrupted for extended periods. Power outages, telecommunications interruptions, localised flooding and road closures can affect access to information, supplies and services.
Monitor official emergency information channels and prepare for the possibility of being without some services for several days. Consider how you will access emergency information if internet, mobile phone or power services have been impacted.
Ensure your household emergency kit has 5 to 7 days supply of essential items, including enough food, drinking water, medications, pet supplies and other essentials to be self-sufficient.
Loss of electricity
Power outages can occur during severe weather, flooding, bushfire or other emergency events. Be prepared for the loss of lights, refrigeration, air conditioning, electric cooking appliances and the ability to charge devices.
Stay well clear of fallen powerlines and any objects in contact with them. To report fallen powerlines, electric shocks and tingles or other electricity emergencies, call 000 or Energex on 13 19 62.
Power outages can be reported on 13 62 62, and are listed on the Disaster Dashboard or Energex Outage Finder.
Energex offer a notification service for Emergency and Planned outages visit the Energex Notifications page to register for this service.
Telecommunications interruptions
Power outages may affect mobile phone coverage, internet services and landline communications. While many mobile phone towers have battery backup systems, these operate for a limited time. NBN services, VoIP phones and cordless landline phones require power and may not operate during prolonged outages. If you have NBN, visit what happens during a power outage for information about how your connection type may be be affected.
Keep mobile devices charged and include power banks or other backup charging options in your emergency kit. Consider having alternative ways to receive emergency information if telecommunications services are disrupted.
For advice on preparing an emergency kit and planning for disruptions to critical infrastructure, visit Get Ready Queensland.
Gas, water and wastewater systems
Some properties in this suburb have on-site wastewater systems, water tanks, or use gas bottles to service hot water systems and cooking appliances. Residents should ensure gas cylinders are secure and maintained. On-site wastewater or water tank systems and may not operate during extended power outages.
Seqwater supplies bulk drinking water through the SEQ Water Grid, and Redland City Council delivers it to most properties in Redland City. Some properties use rainwater tanks. For planned and unplanned water and sewerage outages, visit the Service Interruptions page.
For advice on preparing an emergency kit and planning for disruptions to critical infrastructure, visit Get Ready Queensland.
Road and transport access
Heavy rainfall, flooding, fallen trees and storm damage may affect local roads and transport routes. Conditions can change quickly during severe weather and some roads may become unsafe or inaccessible. Visit Roads affected by local flooding for a suburb-by-suburb list of roads that have experienced flooding in the past.
Check the Disaster Dashboard and Flood Cameras for the latest road conditions.
Never drive through floodwater. If it's flooded, forget it.
Evacuation
During a disaster or emergency, local Evacuation Centres or Assembly Areas may be activated as required.
Do not travel to an Evacuation Centre or Assembly Area unless it has been announced that it is activated and open.
Check the latest evacuation advice and activated Evacuation Centres
If an evacuation is issued, follow the directions of emergency services and refer to the Evacuation in a disaster page about evacuating safely.
Residents should prepare for the possibility of evacuation by ensuring their household emergency plan and emergency kit is up-to-date.