October 15, 2025
With over 25 years of proven success in the water industry and trusted partnerships with more than 50 councils across Australia, AQX Solutions is committed to sharing the insights we’ve gained through decades of experience. Our ORMA (Operations Risk Minimisation Analysis) calculator is a powerful scenario analysis tool that enhances operational risk and cost-benefit evaluations by integrating a broader range of variables, deeper data inputs, and robust benchmarking capabilities. With ongoing contributions from councils, we’re building a consolidated “What-If” analysis model that enables us to simulate and refine the performance of flood warning technologies across diverse real-world scenarios. This collaborative approach draws on decades of experience and delivers measurable cost savings and public benefits to councils nationwide.
Key Features of the ORMA Calculator
Comprehensive Inputs: Operations Risk Minimisation Analysis (ORMA) considers a wide range of operational, risk, and public impact variables, such as:
- Frequency of storm events
- Number of monitored locations
- Team size and hourly rates
- Travel and on-site times
- Overtime, maintenance, and insurance costs
- Claims history and avoidance rates
- Public impact metrics (e.g., road-user delays, detour costs)
Customisable for Each Council: The tool is built in a flexible spreadsheet format, allowing councils to tailor inputs to their unique operational context and historical data. This adaptability supports dynamic “What-If” scenario modeling, enabling councils to explore the potential impact of various flood mitigation strategies under different conditions.
Benchmarking & Collaboration: We’re thrilled by the growing number of councils joining ORMA and actively contributing their insights. By incorporating council recommendations into the shared model, all participants can access the full spectrum of potential cost savings and public benefits. Through anonymised data aggregation, councils can see how their performance compares to peers, fostering transparency, shared learning, and continuous improvement. We believe this tool will play a pivotal role in guiding flood mitigation investments and strengthening funding applications across Australia.
Optional Public Impact Setting: Flood resilience solutions are critical to safeguarding lives, enabling early action and informed decision-making for communities at risk. ORMA incorporates an option for councils to include or exclude public safety benefits, such as reduced road-user delays, improved emergency access, and early warning capabilities. By factoring in these public-facing outcomes, councils can better demonstrate the full value of their investments, not only for internal planning, but also for securing external funding and grants. The ability to model these impacts helps ensure that flood prevention strategies are both effective and community-focused.
Why Councils Are Opting In: The Value of Using and Shaping ORMA
Depth & Flexibility: Go beyond basic cost benefit analysis with a tool that captures the true complexity of stormwater operations and risk.
Customisable & Scalable: Adaptable to any council’s needs, and evolves as new data and requirements emerge.
Benchmarking & Best Practice: Gain access to industry benchmarks while also comparing performance with peer councils.
Supports Funding Applications: Easily toggle between council-only and public benefit views for internal budgeting or external funding submissions, such as the Queensland Reconstruction Authority’s (QRA) Queensland Resilience and Risk Reduction Fund (QRRRF).
Continuous Improvement: Ultimately, as more councils use ORMA, the tool becomes smarter and more valuable for everyone.
Get started today
Flood risk is rising, but so is our ability to respond.
Operations Risk Minimisation Analysis (ORMA) empowers councils to move beyond reactive measures and toward proactive, data-driven planning. By combining deep operational insights with collaborative benchmarking and public safety modeling, ORMA helps councils make smarter investments, secure critical funding, and deliver real value to their communities.
Ready to transform your council’s approach to risk and cost-benefit analysis? Join the growing network of councils using ORMA. Contribute your insights, explore shared data, and unlock the full potential of flood warning solutions. Discover how ORMA can deliver measurable results and help your council stay ahead
Follow the links below to read about some of our flood resilience projects:
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