Flood information - links

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https://twitter.com/ozbob13/status/1107472194454458368

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http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDQ21035.shtml

IDQ21035
Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology
Queensland

TOP PRIORITY FOR IMMEDIATE BROADCAST

Severe Thunderstorm Warning - Southeast Queensland
for DAMAGING WINDS and LARGE HAILSTONES
For people in Ipswich and parts of Logan, Scenic Rim and Brisbane City Council Areas.

Issued at 12:41 pm Monday, 18 March 2019.

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https://twitter.com/BOM_Qld/status/1108989162089267200

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https://twitter.com/BOM_Qld/status/1128006694343045120

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https://twitter.com/BOM_Qld/status/1139783247079124992

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Couriermail --> Students to be given lessons to help them cope with natural disasters rocking the state

An independent report into the natural disasters that rocked the north and northwest of Queensland has calculated a staggering damage bill.

THE damage bill left in the wake of Queensland's recent summer of natural disasters is set to hit almost $6 billion.

The Sunday Mail can reveal an independent Deloitte Access Economics report into the flooding disasters that rocked 39 communities across the north and northwest of the state has estimated the cost will exceed $5.68 billion.

That includes the already announced hit to the State Budget of $1.3 billion for the cost to repair state infrastructure and for grants handed to affected Queenslanders, as well as a host of other economic and social impacts.

It is understood the figure factors in direct costs such as residential, commercial and public infrastructure damage as well as indirect costs such as the impact on the health and wellbeing of communities affected, business disruption and environmental degradation.

The report calculated the costs of the disaster both now and into the future, including those that will affect communities "over a lifetime".

Deloitte Access Economics' work is being considered by the Palaszczuk Government.

Treasurer Jackie Trad said the report's findings laid bare the reality of the long-term impacts of such disasters.

"Queenslanders know better than anyone the devastation natural disasters cause to the economy and the budget bottom line," she said.

"This reinforces that beyond the immediate recovery effort, rebuilding is a long-term process that can have an enduring impact on people's lives.

"We are committed to supporting Queenslanders in need and backing our communities regardless of where they are in our state. But in addition to rebuilding and repairing key infrastructure and helping people get back on their feet as quickly as possible, we need to also be conscious of the fact that some aspects of recovery can take many years, even a lifetime."

It comes as eight and nine-year-olds will be sent to disaster school to make children more resilient to more frequent floods, fires and cyclones.

More than $300,000 will be spent teaching Year 3s and 4s disaster resilience lessons.

About 5000 youngsters in Cairns, Townsville, Rockhampton, Bundaberg, the Sunshine Coast, Brisbane and the Gold Coast will receive the training under the Australian Red Cross's (ARC) Pillowcase Project, one of 62 projects to share in a $9.5 million disaster mitigation fund.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the lessons would give students tips on how to "prepare, cope and deal" with the disasters they are likely to face in the future.

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http://statements.qld.gov.au/Statement/2019/10/14/queenslanders-encouraged-to-get-ready-for-extreme-weather

JOINT STATEMENT

Premier and Minister for Trade
The Honourable Annastacia Palaszczuk

Minister for State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning
The Honourable Cameron Dick

Minister for Fire and Emergency Services
The Honourable Craig Crawford

Monday, October 14, 2019

Queenslanders encouraged to Get Ready for extreme weather

With the ongoing threat of bushfires, and storm season on the horizon, Queenslanders are being urged to prepare for extreme weather as part of Get Ready Queensland Week.

The week, which was launched in Brisbane today and runs until 19 October, coincides with the release of the Bureau of Meteorology's Cyclone and Severe Weather Outlook for 2019-20.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said Queensland was the most disaster impacted state in Australia and it was vitally important that all Queenslanders were ready to respond if disaster strikes.

"In the past decade, Queensland had been impacted by more than 80 significant natural disaster events, resulting in tragic loss of life and more than $15.7 billion in damage to public infrastructure," the Premier said.

"Last season we had catastrophic bushfires in central Queensland one month and unprecedented flooding in North Queensland the month after," the Premier said.

"And most recently we've seen homes and businesses destroyed in the devastating bushfires in the Gold Coast hinterland, the Sunshine Coast, Stanthorpe and Laidley.

"The bushfire season started early this year and since September we've already seen 2000 fires in Queensland so if they haven't already, Queenslanders should take steps now to protect what's most important to them."

Cameron Dick, Minister responsible for the Queensland Reconstruction Authority, said Get Ready Queensland Week was a chance for all Queenslanders to get better prepared for the threat of natural disasters.

"It's a time to think about your families, your pets, your neighbours, homes and businesses, and how to help keep them safe from bushfires, cyclones and flooding," Minister Dick said.

"As we are regularly shown in Queensland, when it comes to extreme weather it's not a matter of if but when and having a 'what-if?' plan could be the difference between staying safe or putting yourself and your family in danger."

Minister for Fire and Emergency Services Craig Crawford said the early and severe start to this year's bushfire season was a timely reminder of the need to be prepared for the unexpected.

"Unfortunately, we may not have seen the worst. We are staring down the barrel of what could possibly be a prolonged and severe bushfire season, and we now have storm and cyclone season on the horizon too," Mr Crawford said.

"QFES staff and volunteers are always ready to roll up their sleeves to protect communities, and we're asking residents to join us by ensuring they are prepared as well."

Get Ready Queensland Ambassador Johnathan Thurston said bushfires, floods, storms or cyclones can strike at any time in Queensland.

"The floods that caused so much damage in Townsville and through other parts of north and Far North Queensland were a reminder of the challenges Queensland faces from Mother Nature," Mr Thurston said.

"As a husband and father of four girls, I know having a 'what-if' plan in place can help keep my family safe, and I would encourage all Queenslanders to do the same.

"Your 'what-if' plan can include having an emergency kit with essentials such as a battery-operated radio for updates, torch, first aid kit, and enough food and water for three days," he said.

"You should also have an evacuation plan in place for your family and pets, and it's really important to check your insurance too."

Bureau of Meteorology State Manager Bruce Gunn said although severe weather can occur at any time in Queensland, October to April is the peak time for heatwaves, flooding, tropical cyclones and severe thunderstorms.

"Bushfires and early season heatwaves will likely be the main hazard in Queensland for the remainder of 2019, with isolated occurrences of the usual severe thunderstorms, particularly in the south-east," Mr Gunn said.

"However, parts of Queensland will undoubtedly also experience major flooding or a tropical cyclone before the end of the 2019-2020 season.

"The projected absence of any strong climatic influence of El Nino or La Nina indicates an average to slightly below average number of tropical cyclones in the Australian region, but it only takes one cyclone to cross the coast for it to be a significant season.

"The main message the bureau would like to convey to everyone in Queensland is to know your weather and know your risk – to be ready to act and stay safe."

The Palaszczuk Government has committed $2 million to Get Ready Queensland to help councils prepare their communities for disasters in 2019-20.

For more information on Get Ready Queensland visit getready.qld.gov.au.

ENDS

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https://twitter.com/ozbob13/status/1184714145364467712

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https://twitter.com/BOM_Qld/status/1185378865507655682

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https://twitter.com/BOM_Qld/status/1195563270326890496

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http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDQ21033.shtml

TOP PRIORITY FOR IMMEDIATE BROADCAST

Severe Thunderstorm Warning
for DAMAGING WINDS and LARGE HAILSTONES
For people in parts of Wide Bay and Burnett and Southeast Coast Forecast Districts.

Issued at 11:59 am Sunday, 17 November 2019.
Severe storms likely between Gympie and Brisbane during the next few hours.

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https://twitter.com/BOM_Qld/status/1195904086497021952

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https://twitter.com/abcbrisbane/status/1195916853480026112

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Queensland Times --> Court rules in favour of 2011 flood victims

THE State Government has been found to be responsible for some of the damage of the 2011 floods.

New South Wales Supreme  Court Justice  Robert Beech-Jones has found in favour of a billion dollar class action  brought by Maurice Blackburn lawyers on behalf of more than 6000 flood victims against the State Government, Seqwater and Sunwater.

Goodna residents have burst into tears as they listened to a judge deliver his findings. 

Former Ipswich councillor Paul Tully held flood victim Frank Beaumont in his arms, as the pair called on payments to now be delivered.   "He really ripped apart the dam engineers," Mr Beaumont said.   "We should not ever have been flooded." 

Dressed in his mud and filth stained clothes from the day of the flood, Mr Beaumont said he remembered seeing a kangaroo in the powerlines and the water above his two-storey home. 

"It was just devastation," he said.   "My fridge freezer was turned upside down. My property was surrounded by my possessions."

The class action which began in  December of 2017 claimed the dam engineers at Wivenhoe had held back too much water in the lead up to the January floods, and were forced to release large volumes when rain increased in the days before the Brisbane river peaked in the early hours of January 13.Justice Beech-Jones described the rainfall that occurred over the Wivenhoe catchment area in January as of "biblical proportions.''

Rainfall had reached "biblical proportions'' above Brisbane's Wivenhoe Dam  in early January 2011 in the lead up south east Queensland floods, a New South Wales Supreme Court has heard.

The class action against the State Government, seqwater and Sunwater  began in  December of 2017 and claimed the dam engineers at Wivenhoe had held back too much water in the lead up to the January floods.

It claims they were forced to release large volumes when rain increased in the days before the Brisbane river peaked in the early hours of January 13.

Justice Beech-Jones said the rain above Wivenhoe Dam was  "of biblical proportions"  in the lead up to the flooding.

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Court rules in favour of Brisbane, Ipswich victims of 2011 floods

MORE than 6000 south east Queensland flood victims are likely to receive some hefty compensation cheques in the year ahead as a New South Wales Supreme court ruled the State Government failed to manage its dams properly during the January 2011 flood disaster.

After a two year battle the billion dollar class action, by Maurice Blackburn Lawyers against the State Government, Sunwater and Seqwater, has proven successful after findings handed down this morning.

Flood victims at the former ''ground zero'' of the 2011 floods, the Goodna suburb of Ipswich, gathered near the banks of the Brisbane River to listen to the judgement on live streaming, and were sharing a few bottles of champagne by 10 p.m.

Former Ipswich councillor and flood victim Paul Tully organised the gathering and called on the state Government not to pursue any appeal.

"There are a few people bloody well crying here _ we are all sharing stories and remembering the floods and it has been good for everyone,'' said Tully, whose family of four lost their home in the flood.

"I just say to the Premier, 'draw a line in the sand, don't pursue an appeal'."

Mr Tully held flood victim Frank Beaumont in his arms, as the pair called on payments to now be delivered.

"He really ripped apart the dam engineers," Mr Beaumont said.

"We should not ever have been flooded."

Dressed in his mud and filth stained clothes from the day of the flood, Mr Beaumont said he remembered seeing a kangaroo in the powerlines and the water above his two-storey home.

"It was just devastation," he said.

"My fridge freezer was turned upside down. My property was surrounded by my possessions."

In his judgement New South Wales Supreme Court Justice Robert Beech-Jones found the dams were not managed in accordance with the dam manual.

One of the crucial aspects of that management was a failure to take into account forecast rain.Justice Beech-Jones was particularly scathing in his findings on the evidence of some of the four dam engineers.

He found they did not take into account the heavy rainfalls that were predicted in the days leading up the floods which devastated the south east during and after January 11 2011.

The engineers appeared to assume no more rain would fall above the dam as they made decisions on how much water to release, the Judge said.

He found the engineers "failed to follow the very manual they had drafted, or participated in drafting, only 18 months ago (before the flood event)...."

Justice Beech-Jones said the dam engineers relied on reports of water already on the ground as they planned their strategy on dam release.

"They contended that rainfall forecasts were far too uncertain."

The class action which began hearings in December 2017 has heard enormously complex technical data but always centred on a simple proposition that Maurice Blackburn has pursued for many years.Julian Sexton, QC, for the plaintiff, told the hearing in its opening days that Seqwater dam engineers effectively "bet against" Bureau of Meteorology forecasts and failed to allow adequate storage space at Wivenhoe Dam for incoming flows during the ­crucial days of heavy rainfall in early January 2011.

When more rain continued to fall, the massive body of water had to be released contributing to flooding, Mr Sexton said.ends.

The class action which began in December of 2017 claimed the dam engineers at Wivenhoe had held back too much water in the lead up to the January floods, and were forced to release large volumes when rain increased in the days before the Brisbane river peaked in the early hours of January 13.Justice Beech-Jones described the rainfall that occurred over the Wivenhoe catchment area in January as of "biblical proportions.''

Rainfall had reached "biblical proportions'' above Brisbane's Wivenhoe Dam in early January 2011 in the lead up south east Queensland floods, a New South Wales Supreme Court has heard.

The class action against the State Government, seqwater and Sunwater began in December of 2017 and claimed the dam engineers at Wivenhoe had held back too much water in the lead up to the January floods.

It claims they were forced to release large volumes when rain increased in the days before the Brisbane river peaked in the early hours of January 13.

Justice Beech-Jones said the rain above Wivenhoe Dam was "of biblical proportions" in the lead up to the flooding.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/DebFrecklington/status/1200226330127679488

Will the State appeal?  Probably not, there is #qldvotes2020 to consider ... 

My daughter lost her fridge and freezer foods (power was turned off for safety at Goodna).   

House secure. Minor compared to some of the houses impacted and effectively destroyed.

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Queensland 2011 flood victims win class action

Almost 7000 Queenslanders have won a class action over the state's devastating 2011 floods, with a judge finding they were victims of negligence.

NSW Supreme Court Justice Robert Beech-Jones has found in favour of 6800 claimants who sued the Queensland government, Seqwater and Sunwater over the scale of the disaster.

Justice Beech-Jones has accepted that engineers tasked with managing the Wivenhoe and Somerset dams in the lead-up to and during a "biblical" deluge in January 2011 failed spectacularly in their duty of care.

About 23,000 homes and businesses went under in Brisbane and Ipswich when authorities released huge amounts of water to protect the dams' structural integrity.

Justice Beech-Jones agreed with victims' claims that engineers negligently managed the dams and that they did not factor in extraordinary rainfall forecasts in deciding how best to respond to the flood event.

That was despite them being obliged, under the dam manual, to do so.

He found that during days of heavy rain, before the peak of the flood on January 11, dam engineers prioritised keeping downstream bridges open over trying to limit flooding in urban areas.

He said the engineers had "failed to follow the very manual they drafted 18 months earlier".

No cost decision has been made, with the case to return to court in February.

The ruling has been years in the making and was heard in NSW because at the time it was lodged, class actions were not possible in Queensland.

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Oh ...

1417hours

http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDR663.shtml

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https://twitter.com/PaulTully/status/1200230893656240128

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https://twitter.com/ShannonMM9/status/1200208854874591232

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https://twitter.com/DrRimmer/status/1200231383437697024

[Stillwater]

Humm, can't manage a dam, can't build a railway tunnel without adequate operational efficiencies.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/ozbob13/status/1200240985457823744

https://twitter.com/ozbob13/status/1200242171393085440

[ozbob]

Humm, can't manage a dam, can't build a railway tunnel without adequate operational efficiencies.

The Bligh Government is the worse Government ever inflicted on Queensland by Labor.

Stopped the Sunshine Line upgrade.  Pushed back Cross River Rail when it was hot!  Completely stuffed up Queensland Rail. Was complicit in the decade of PT stagnation as they shepherded the five year fare fail.

Did some nice work with the ' Rail Revolution ' and  ' Connecting SEQ 2031 '.   Nice, even if only glossy tomes ...

The Government that followed, the Newman Government was no doubt the worse ever inflicted by the blue mob.

Face it, hasn't been a good run with State Governments of late ...

[ozbob]

Queensland Times --> Community claims 'today is a win' with ruling on 2011 floods

LOCALS are having a mixed response to the news the State Government has been found to be responsible for some of the damage of the 2011 floods.

New South Wales Supreme Court Justice  Robert Beech-Jones earlier this morning found in favour of a billion dollar class action brought by Maurice Blackburn lawyers on behalf of more than 6000 flood victims against the State Government, Seqwater and Sunwater.

Former Councillor Paul Tully, whose home was inundated in the 2011 floods, said today was a win for the Ipswich community.

"There was an air of despondency, particularly in the last couple of days that we're not likely to win," he said.

"It's gone on for seven or eight years. A long, long time and now justice has prevailed.

"Through a quirk in our legal system the case couldn't be commenced in Queensland because there were no class actions then. It's taken a judge of the New South Wales  Supreme Court to hand down this decision, but it is appealable. It could go on to the court of appeal in NSW and to the High Court eventually, so that could be another two or three year delay."

He called upon the premier to take action.

"Premier Palaszczuk, this has gone on long enough, draw a line in the sand let the people be paid their fair compensation, which the court has ruled in our favour and don't let this drag on," he said.

Frank Beaumont, 78, has worked hard his entire life and lost everything when the flood peaked at Goodna.

"All I had left was a roof, three walls and the internal timber framework."

"Today has been a lot of stress and it's been resolved in the way we wanted it to be resolved."

"He (the judge) really ripped apart the dam engineers, he also gave a lot of adherence to the Morris Blackburn's engineer that they brought in from America, who modelled what would have happened,"

"We should not ever have been flooded. I have a two storey house with a tv aerial six feet above my roof. I couldn't even see the TV aerial."

Mr Beaumont was only left with the shoes on his feet and a pair of shorts, both of which he decided to wear once again to hear today's verdict.

When asked how the money would help him, Mr Beaumont responded: "I've got to live to see it first."

[ozbob]

http://statements.qld.gov.au/Statement/2019/11/29/paradise-dam-inquiry-called-as-reports-released

Media Statements

Minister for Natural Resources, Mines and Energy
The Honourable Dr Anthony Lynham

Friday, November 29, 2019

Paradise Dam inquiry called as reports released

An independent inquiry will be held into Paradise Dam as technical reports released today detail structural and stability issues with the dam.

Natural Resources Minister Dr Anthony Lynham announced today that former Supreme Court judge John Byrne AO RFD would head a transparent, fully independent inquiry into the dam's structural and stability issues.

"The Government has been listening to the Bundaberg community," he said.

"We know they have questions, as we have questions.

"Justice Byrne's inquiry will take public submissions and the terms of reference will be released next week."

In the meantime, Sunwater will continue works to deal with issues detailed in the reports released today.

Natural Resources Minister Dr Anthony Lynham said the technical reports confirmed potential stability issues with the dam in the event of an extreme weather event like the 2013 cyclone and flood.

"The reports confirm that the dam is safe now," he said.

"However, they do confirm potential risk of major flooding if there is another an extreme weather event like 2013 and this is why Sunwater made the decision to release water and lower Paradise Dam's spillway by five metres.

"Sunwater has worked with the Bundaberg and North Burnett Regional Council, police and other agencies in the Local Disaster Management Group (LDMG) to ensure that emergency plans are in place to protect the community.

"The people of Bundaberg know about flooding.

"Their Local Disaster Management Group will have more notice than ever before and have the community well-prepared if, and when, an extreme weather event like 2013 happens again.

"The Inspector-General Emergency Management is currently conducting a review into disaster preparedness planning for the local community.

"The Government has always been primarily concerned with community safety.

"Sunwater's advice is that reducing the volume of water in the dam reduces pressure on the dam wall and creates additional time for the dam to fill in an extreme weather event, and therefore extra time for any evacuations."

University of Newcastle Pro-Vice Chancellor, Emeritus Professor John Carter (external site), will provide technical advice.

The technical reports published on Sunwater's website today show:

issues with the bonds between each layer of roller compacted concrete in the dam wall
risks to the dam wall in rare, major events like the 2013 cyclone and flood
the need to act to lower water levels to minimise pressure on the dam wall.

Dr Lynham said work continued on:

reducing the dam spillway by five metres
alternative water supply options, especially for irrigators
Building Queensland's detailed business case into long-term options for the dam.
The dam's storage level has been progressively lowered over the past 10 weeks and it will reach its 42 per cent target level in the next few days.

Over 96 per cent of the water released has been stored in the Ben Anderson Barrage and Ned Churchward Weir or used productively, including by Bundaberg Regional Council and irrigators.

[ENDS]

The Paradise Dam technical reports are available at:

https://www.sunwater.com.au/projects/paradise-dam-essential-works/ (external site).

The inquiry of terms of reference are at dnrme.qld.gov.au

[aldonius]

The Government that followed, the Newman Government was no doubt the worse ever inflicted by the blue mob.

Propping up Joh doesn't count?

[ozbob]

Joh was National (Country Party).  Bad at that ... lol

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Queensland 2011 flood victims win class action

More than 6800 victims of the 2011 Brisbane flood have won a historic class action against Seqwater, Sunwater and the Queensland government over the management of the Wivenhoe Dam.

The NSW Supreme Court on Friday ruled that the dam's flood engineers relied too closely on "rain on the ground" estimates in 2011 and did not appropriately use rainfall forecasts to manage Wivenhoe Dam, as required by its manual.

The successful lawsuit opens the door to negligence claims from the flood victims.

Justice Robert Beech-Jones said the rainfall at some stages "was biblical in proportions" and he accepted the dam's management was a stressful operation.

However, he ruled that the four flood engineers who had operated the Wivenhoe Dam in January 2011 had "in some respects" breached their duty of care in managing the flow of water from the dam.

Announcing a complex ruling over almost two hours, Justice Beech Jones said Seqwater, Sunwater and the state government were "negligent".

Their actions contributed to the flooding of a sports store run by Vince Rodriguez at Fairfield Gardens.

The flooding of the store was one of four test cases put forward by Maurice Blackburn lawyers, who lodged the class action on behalf of the 6870 flood victims.

Other tests cases will now be evaluated before a further hearing in the NSW Supreme Court on February 21, 2020.

That opens the doors to a potential payout of hundreds of millions of dollars - law firms suggest it could run to a billion dollars.

Maurice Blackburn class actions principal lawyer Rebecca Gilsenan, who has led the investigation for five years, said the outcome was "so very sweet".

"I am pretty happy today and very, very relieved," Ms Gilsenan said.

"It has been a long and ferociously fought case, which the judge aluded to," she said.

"To get that outcome for the people and businesses of south-east Queensland is so very sweet."

Ms Gilsenan said Maurice Blackburn intended to work towards an "aggregated claim" for the 6780 individual flood claims.

Engineers relied on 'rain on the ground' models
On Friday, Justice Beech-Jones raised inconsistencies between the Wivenhoe Dam flood manual and the operation of the dams.

He said the flood engineers had relied too closely on "rain on the ground" modelling and not on forecast rainfall, particularly four- and eight-day forecast rainfall in the Wivenhoe Dam's catchment areas.

He said he accepted much of the evidence of Utah dam expert Ronald Christensen, a key witness for Maurice Blackburn's team.

Dr Christensen had posed 10 alternative modelling scenarios for managing the Wivenhoe Dam and argued that using flood forecasts was part of the Wivenhoe Dam's flood manual.

Justice Beech-Jones noted Mr Christensen had been "vigorously cross-examined" for 22 days by Seqwater's legal teams.

However he said he was "not persuaded by the need to use eight-day rainfall forecasts", as Dr Christensen proposed.

The Wivenhoe Dam manual adopted a risk-management approach that made rainfall forecasts a central part of the flood engineers' operation of the dam, Justice Beech-Jones said.

Each flood engineer had been negligent
The lawsuit alleged that the four flood engineers were obliged but failed to sufficiently evacuate the water from the Wivenhoe and Somerset dams prior to the flood event.

Further, it alleged that the engineers "comprehensively failed to apply the flood manual during the flood event".

Justice Beech-Jones said he found that each flood engineer had been negligent "in some respects" in interpreting the Wivenhoe Dam flood manual, which was gazetted by the Queensland government in 2010, a year before the flood.

"The manual unambiguously and stubbornly required that 'best forecast rainfall' be used to make predictions for the purpose of determining the anticipated storage levels in the dams in order to select the applicable flood strategy," he said in his ruling.

Seqwater gave evidence to the class action that flood engineers believed rainfall forecasts were not reliable.

Justice Beech-Jones said Seqwater told the inquiry that engineers preferred the actual "rain on the ground'' data as the basis of future modelling, as it was more reliable.

They contended that rainfall data was "more than sufficient" to apply the scenarios in the flood manual.

Seqwater said Dr Christensen's models contained errors and various elements were untested in Australia.

The organisation also criticised other modelling proposed by Maurice Blackburn's team as using incorrect inflow levels from Lockyer Creek and from the Bremer River.

The 2011 flooding in Brisbane was influenced by a combination of the flood release flows from Wivenhoe Dam, Lockyer Creek and the Bremer River.

Seqwater and Sunwater said the four flood engineers demonstrated "competent and professional practice" and had followed the Wivenhoe Dam flood manual.

When discussing issues of duty of care, Justice Beech-Jones ruled that Seqwater, Sunwater and the Queensland government were liable.

"I accept that each of Seqwater, Sunwater and the State are vicariously liable for any breaches of the duty of care owed by the flood engineers that they each employed."

Other sections of the class action were unsuccessful.

Justice Beech-Jones said the inquiry was heard in NSW because of "an accident of time", where Queensland legislation at the time did not allow class actions of this type to be heard.

[aldonius]

Joh was National (Country Party).  Bad at that ... lol

Yes, and (at least for most of his tenure) the Nats needed Liberal support to govern, in much the same way that the federal Libs usually (and presently) need Nats support.

[ozbob]

http://statements.qld.gov.au/Statement/2019/11/29/statement-from-the-attorneygeneral-re-southeast-queensland-flood-class-action

Media Statements
Attorney-General and Minister for Justice

The Honourable Yvette D'Ath

Friday, November 29, 2019

Statement from the Attorney-General re South-East Queensland Flood Class Action

Attorney-General Yvette D'Ath said:

"The government acknowledges the decision of the NSW Supreme court.

"The government will closely examine the judgement before making any comment on a possible appeal."

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Lawyer urges state government to respect landmark flood decision

Queensland authorities should accept the court ruling that the actions of four flood engineers managing Wivenhoe Dam contributed to Brisbane and Ipswich flood levels being higher than they should, according to the lawyer central to the landmark class action.

More than 23,000 homes in Brisbane and 3000 in Ipswich were flooded in January 2011 as rainfall reached "biblical proportions" after many years of drought.

The damage bill in Brisbane alone was estimated at $440 million.

Rebecca Gilsenan, the principal lawyer behind Maurice Blackburn's successful class-action lawsuit on Friday, urged the Queensland government, Seqwater and Sunwater to respect the ruling.

Ms Gilsenan said Maurice Blackburn's main priority after the ruling by Justice Robert Beech-Jones was "how to deliver compensation to the rest of the class action as swiftly as possible".

She said the damage in 2011 was extensive and the compensation bill to victims would be at least "hundreds of millions of dollars".

"That is what they deserve and that is what they need to bring this to a close," Ms Gilsenan said.

"I call on the defendants to adopt a similar point of view. They have comprehensively lost this case. It has been found that dams were undoubtedly operated negligently and not in accordance with their own manual. Far from it.

"Their focus needs to be on compensating the victims of their negligence."

Ms Gilsenan said Seqwater's key shortcoming was its failure to take into account rainfall forecasts.

"In other words, they only looked back. They did not look forward when they had tools available to them to look forward," she said.

Judith Murphy, whose West End home had almost two metres of water running through it, was one of the 6870 people in the class action.

"From memory, CommInsure came out and estimated my damage at $150,000," Ms Murphy said.

She said she had already received $30,000 in compensation but was still owed $120,000, plus the lost rent for a couple of years because she could not fix her home.

"If I got $20,000 or $30,000, I would be happy," she said.

At Fernvale, Lyn Lynch – one of the first five test cases in the legal hearing – was "elated and thrilled" when she heard the successful judgement.

"But I'm finding it a bit hard to process it," she said.

"He [Justice Beech-Jones] said exactly what I knew happened. I think it's great and makes them accountable."

Ms Lynch, whose home flooded to the rooftop, said she phoned an elderly neighbour, May, who was also in the class action.

"Letting her know that we had won was one of my real thrills," she said.

Seqwater declined to comment on Justice Beech-Jones' ruling, and state Attorney-General Yvette D'Ath issued a very brief statement.

"The government will closely examine the judgement before making any comment on a possible appeal," she said.

Ms Gilsenan said Maurice Blackburn would prepare an aggregated quote for damages for categories of similar claims from the 6870 flood victims.

[ozbob]

The Australian --> Victims of negligence: Queensland 2011 flood victims win class action worth hundreds of millions

The Queensland government was last night scrambling to respond to the legal victory of thousands of victims of the devastating 2011 Brisbane floods, a decision that could cost the state hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation payments.

As flood victims celebrated after years pursuing a complicated class-action suit against the government and its water management agencies, the financial implications of the NSW Supreme Court decision to uphold their claim were still being assessed.

Supreme Court judge Robert Beech-Jones found the operation of Wivenhoe Dam was negligent in the lead-up to the deluge, with dam operators failing to take into account rainfall forecasts in the days leading up the flood. This failure contributed to the downstream flooding of parts of Ipswich and Brisbane.

Deputy Opposition Leader Tim Mander demanded Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk apologise for the "incompetence" of the Bligh government — in which she was a minister — and explain how her cash-strapped administration would pay for the compensation.

"The Labor government was responsible for the management of Wivenhoe Dam during the 2011 floods and they blew it," Mr ­Mander said. "Labor's incompetence has put lives at risk and ruined thousands of homes and businesses."

The only official response from the government yesterday was a short statement by Attorney-General Yvette D'Ath saying it acknowledged the court's decision. "The government will closely examine the judgment before making any comment on a possible appeal," Ms D'Ath said.

Pine Mountain Nursery manager John Craigie, whose investigations were crucial to the spotlight being shone on the role the operators of the dam played in contributing to the magnitude of the flood, described the decision as bittersweet. Mr Craigie — denied an appearance at the year-long royal commission-style inquiry into the floods run by now Queensland Chief Justice Catherine Holmes — forced a reopening of public hearings and rewriting of its findings that initiated the class action.

Mr Craigie said it was the discovery of the documents and collaboration with The Australian's Hedley Thomas and retired chemical engineer Mick O'Brien that laid the groundwork for the class-action win. "Had I not done the research that opened the way for a reopening of the flood inquiry there probably would not have been sufficient evidence to initiate a class action,'' he said.

The decision is a victory for the more than 6800 claimants who sued the Queensland government, and dam managers SEQwater and SunWater over the scale of the ­disaster. Justice Beech-Jones accepted engineers tasked with managing Wivenhoe and Somerset dams in the lead-up to and during a "biblical" deluge in January 2011 failed in their duty of care. He said they did not follow the dam operating manual that they themselves had helped write.

No cost decision has been made, with the case to return to court in February for a costs hearing.

The decision follows the findings by the Floods Commission of Inquiry that Wivenhoe Dam had been operated in breach of its operational manual.

The inquiry found that the dam operators had failed to use rainfall forecasts in making decisions about dam operating strategies.

The status of an estimated $1.5bn in insurance payments distributed to victims since the flood is also unclear, with Insurance Council of Australia spokesman Campbell Fuller saying insurers "will review today's decision for its commercial implications".

Queensland Law Society president Bill Potts said while SunWater and SEQwater did have legal liability insurance that could cover the compensation, it could be capped to a certain monetary value. But Mr Potts said the state government was effectively self-insured and did not take out external insurance because it was such a large entity. He said it was likely the government would have to fund any compensation through its cash reserves, borrowing more money, creating a new levy, or increasing various taxes.

Mr Potts said defeated ­parties would consider whether there were grounds to appeal. "No doubt all of the parties will consider whether there's been any error in the judgment or evidence which has been excluded that should have been included; they effectively have 28 days to appeal to the NSW Court of Appeal," he said.

There were tears from some victims as the ruling was delivered, almost nine years after a disaster that devastated so many families.

Goodna retiree Frank Beaumont, 77, mulled over the years of distress he suffered after his home went under. "The mental stress has been horrendous," Mr Beaumont said in Ipswich. "We've had so many trodden-down moments where the insurance didn't pay, being kicked out of a rental home and then having to rebuild an absolutely devastated house."

After Maurice Blackburn lawyers get paid, and their litigation funders, IMF Bentham and Innsworth, take their share of the damages payout, the rest will be shared between the class-action claimants. It is unlikely to be equal, with compensation to be based on the level of damage and financial loss.

The class action was filed by Maurice Blackburn in July 2014, with the trial starting in the Supreme Court of NSW in December 2017 and running for nearly 18 months. The litigation had to be filed interstate because, at the time, class actions could not be filed in Queensland.

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Paradise Dam safety issues identified just a year after construction completed in 2005

Safety issues were identified with Paradise Dam, which has this year been embroiled in controversy, just a year after it was built in 2005, a new report into the structure reveals.

SAFETY issues were identified with Paradise Dam just a year after it was built in 2005, reveals a new report into the structure, which has this year been embroiled in controversy.

The bombshell was in a report released yesterday amid the State Government announcing an independent probe into the dam near Bundaberg. Natural Resources Minister Anthony Lynham said the bonding between layers of rolled, compacted concrete in the dam wall had been "unsatisfactory" in some places.

According to dam consultant GHD's report from September, "the investigations undertaken by BDA in 2006, SunWater in 2014-15 and now in 2019 indicate that of the order of 60-90 per cent of lift joints are un-bonded".

Hinkler MP Keith Pitt said GHD's report showed there were "enormous problems".

"The bottom line is that the community demands that it is fixed or rebuilt, there are no other options," he said.

A SunWater spokesman said when the key issue with the bonds between the roller-compacted concrete layers was confirmed in September 2019, SunWater's primary focus was to plan for work that would reduce the risk of dam failure and improve community safety as quickly as possible.

"It was not until July 2019 that SunWater was provided with information relating to the bonding issues from investigations conducted by BDA in 2006," he said.

The probe comes almost two months after the LNP demanded one into the dam's design and construction. Dr Lynham announced former Supreme Court Justice John Byrne AO RFD would head the inquiry.

State-owned SunWater, who operates the dam, began releasing 105,000 megalitres in September, citing safety concerns should there be a repeat of the 2013 flood event.

The decision sparked major backlash from farmers as the region battles serious drought.

The dam is set to hit 42 per cent capacity in coming days.

Dr Lynham did not answer directly at yesterday's press conference when asked about whether the dam had structural issues since its inception.

Top outfit this Sun Water, they must have morning tea with TMR staff ... 

[Stillwater]

Up to $700m to fix Paradise Dam ... potentially hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation to flood victims.  Do we think that the estimated cost of CRR will remain as is?  With all the costs associated with botched infrastructure and its management, don't expect large dollops of money for new transport infrastructure.  Can we afford the Olympic Games?  Will the same engineers who design dams also supervise construction of a new stadium?

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> State Government awaits legal advice after Supreme Court rules in favour of 2011 flood victims

THE State Government is still considering the Supreme Court's 2011 flood findings amid calls for victims to be compensated.

Attorney-General Yvette D'Ath said she was expecting legal advice on the ruling later this week however it may be preliminary.

"Certainly the state has a standing to appeal, as does Seq (water) and Sunwater but no decisions have been made in relation to that at this stage," she said.

The Government, Sunwater and Seqwater were last week found to have exacerbated the 2011 floods that destroyed thousands of homes across the southeast.

Ms D'Ath today said the Government did not have legal liability insurance, however Seqwater and Sunwater did.

She said it was a comprehensive 1550-page judgment which was taking some time to look through.

" ... and the Government is awaiting advice from their legal representatives in relation to that judgment before forming any views as to what we may do," she said.

Insurers were expected to closely analyse the judgment to determine if they could pursue the Government for their own compensation.

Asked whether the Government was concerned about this, Ms D'Ath said, "We're not getting ahead of ourselves, we're just looking at the judgment at this stage and what it actually means".

Deputy Opposition Leader Tim Mander said there was a moral obligation for the Government to pay compensation to flood victims who had "put up with eight years of misery".

"We think that the Palaszczuk Government should accept the umpire's decision and pay compensation to help these people get on with their lives," he said.

[ozbob]

http://statements.qld.gov.au/Statement/2019/12/6/paradise-dam-commission-of-inquiry-underway

Media Statements
Minister for Natural Resources, Mines and Energy

The Honourable Dr Anthony Lynham

Friday, December 06, 2019

Paradise Dam Commission of Inquiry underway

An independent Commission of Inquiry is now underway into the facts and circumstances that contributed to the structural and stability issues at Paradise Dam near Bundaberg.

Natural Resources Minister Dr Anthony Lynham said Executive Council had appointed  former Supreme Court judge John Byrne AO RFD (external site)andProfessor John Carter (external site)as Commissioners.

"Establishing an independent Commission of Inquiry gives the Commissioners the necessary authority to conduct a fully transparent and comprehensive review," Dr Lynham said.

"This Commission of Inquiry will have all the resources necessary to conduct a thorough investigation to determine the root cause of structural and stability issues identified in the engineering and technical studies into the Paradise Dam.

"The terms of reference also ensure the Commission has the powers to make recommendations to ensure that any future Queensland dam projects are designed, constructed and commissioned to acceptable standards."

The terms of reference are also now available at dnrme.qld.gov.au
Dr Lynham said all investigations related to the dam continued in parallel.

"Sunwater's investigations, the independent technical reports and the Business Queensland assessment of future options have happened in parallel, as will the Commission of Inquiry.

This will allow decisions to be made as soon as possible.

"In the meantime, the dam is safe, and work is continuing to address safety concerns in the event of an extreme weather event like Cyclone Oswald in 2013."

[ENDS]

[ozbob]

http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDQ21035.shtml

TOP PRIORITY FOR IMMEDIATE BROADCAST

Severe Thunderstorm Warning - Southeast Queensland
for DAMAGING WINDS, HEAVY RAINFALL and LARGE HAILSTONES
For people in parts of Ipswich, Somerset, South Burnett and Lockyer Valley Council Areas.

Issued at 4:06 pm Wednesday, 11 December 2019.

====

https://twitter.com/ozbob13/status/1204652117480235010

[verbatim9]

Good to see the rain return to Se Qld

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Flood class action appeal decision to be made before Christmas

The 6800 home owners impacted by the 2011 Queensland floods will know before Christmas whether their successful historic class action will be appealed by state government.

More than 23,000 Brisbane and Ipswich properties were covered by water in January 2011.

Last month in the New South Wales Supreme Court, Justice Robert Beech-Jones found the four flood engineers working for the Queensland government and the state government-owned dam management bodies Seqwater and Sunwater negligent in their control of Wivenhoe and Somerset dams in 2010 and 2011.

When discussing issues of duty of care, Justice Beech-Jones ruled that Seqwater, Sunwater and the Queensland government were liable.

Queensland Attorney-General Yvette D'Ath said the government had spent the past fortnight assessing Justice Beech-Jones's complex and detailed ruling.

"This is a complex judgment running to some 1500 pages and it's taking some time to get across all the elements of the judge's findings," Ms D'Ath said.

"The government is considering a brief from its legal representatives."

Ms D'Ath said there was considerable work to be done before the next NSW Supreme Court hearing.

"Irrespective of an appeal, there is still a lot of work to be done by the parties in working out the apportionment of, and the damages, and coming before the court in February to work through the issues," she said.

"I am confident that we will make a decision as to the process going forward and we will be making a decision by Christmas.

"As the Premier said, we don't want this matter to drag on, and it's important for all parties concerned that we make a properly informed decision."

In his summary, Justice Beech-Jones ruled the dam engineers did not use rainfall forecasts - as required by the Wivenhoe and Somerset dam manuals - as they should, resulting in flood heights higher than they could have been.

He found more water from the dams should have been released before the crucial flood period in mid-January 2011.