Flood information - links

[ozbob]

From the ABC News click here!

Centrelink to take on flood fraudsters

Centrelink to take on flood fraudsters

The Federal Government has set up a taskforce to investigate fraudulent flood claims after reports that Queenslanders have been dishonestly claiming special assistance payments.

About $200 million has been paid out to more than 250,000 people affected by recent flooding across Australia.

Human Services Minister Tanya Plibersek says claims for financial assistance to help with the crisis are being examined by the taskforce and people trying to rort the system will be caught.

She says Centrelink and other authorities referred more than 3,000 customers for prosecutions last year with a conviction rate of 99 per cent.

The announcement came after National Party Leader Warren Truss said disaster relief guidelines must be reviewed after assistance grants were possibly rorted in his electorate.

Last week, several people admitted to ABC News Online they were planning on chancing their luck and applying for the one-off $1,000 assistance payment, despite not being affected by the floods.

Centrelink general manager Hank Jongen likened rorters to looters and warned that the organisation would thoroughly investigate any allegations of fraud.

He urged people who are tempted to make fraudulent claims to reconsider.

"In emergency and crisis situations, Centrelink needs to balance the needs of people who have obviously gone through a very traumatic event with the fact that unfortunately some people may try to claim assistance they aren't entitled to," he said.

"Where we receive evidence or tip-offs about fraudulent claiming, we will investigate them. If someone has claimed a payment through deliberate fraud they will be required to pay it back and may face prosecution."

- ABC/AAP

[justanotheruser]

From the ABC News click here!

Centrelink to take on flood fraudsters

Centrelink to take on flood fraudsters

The Federal Government has set up a taskforce to investigate fraudulent flood claims after reports that Queenslanders have been dishonestly claiming special assistance payments.

About $200 million has been paid out to more than 250,000 people affected by recent flooding across Australia.

Human Services Minister Tanya Plibersek says claims for financial assistance to help with the crisis are being examined by the taskforce and people trying to rort the system will be caught.

She says Centrelink and other authorities referred more than 3,000 customers for prosecutions last year with a conviction rate of 99 per cent.

The announcement came after National Party Leader Warren Truss said disaster relief guidelines must be reviewed after assistance grants were possibly rorted in his electorate.

Last week, several people admitted to ABC News Online they were planning on chancing their luck and applying for the one-off $1,000 assistance payment, despite not being affected by the floods.

Centrelink general manager Hank Jongen likened rorters to looters and warned that the organisation would thoroughly investigate any allegations of fraud.

He urged people who are tempted to make fraudulent claims to reconsider.

"In emergency and crisis situations, Centrelink needs to balance the needs of people who have obviously gone through a very traumatic event with the fact that unfortunately some people may try to claim assistance they aren't entitled to," he said.

"Where we receive evidence or tip-offs about fraudulent claiming, we will investigate them. If someone has claimed a payment through deliberate fraud they will be required to pay it back and may face prosecution."

- ABC/AAP

Some people I know wearn't sure if they were entitled to payments so they put in a claim and said they would wait and see. So I guess it depends on if centrelink is reading the claim before making the payment or just blindly paying the money.  The people I know have been honest in how they were affected.  One lost power for 45 hours which they said and is 3 hours short of qualifying for the payment.

From the ABC News click here!


"Where we receive evidence or tip-offs about fraudulent claiming, we will investigate them. If someone has claimed a payment through deliberate fraud they will be required to pay it back and may face prosecution."

- ABC/AAP

[/quote]
I guess this means they won't come after my family seem as we asked for payment for three people and received payment for four!  Perhaps we can make some arrangement to transfer the payment to the other parent who would have suffered in the toowoomba floods and therefore be entitled to the payment for the 2nd child.

[justanotheruser]

We are all entitled to our opinions.  The difference being I was here in '74 and '11 floods and note the responses and differences.  In terms of volunteer efforts no difference.  There is a lot more government support now though, not necessarily a bad thing providing it goes to the right people.  A lot of evidence it is not though. I hope the authorities back track and verify the claims of individuals.

The kneejerk response now is legal action for most things.  The fact that individuals chose to live in flood prone areas escapes many.
Knowing rights and having some common-sense are not necessarily related IMHO.

my main point was that there are things that were better in the past but there were also things that were worse in the past so we shouldn't be too quick to label society as being sick

[ozbob]

Courier Mail --> City Plan set for overhaul as insurers warn of future flood shocks

[ozbob]

Just got back from some tidying up at Goodna.  Some shops are now open at the St Ives shopping centre!  Amazing effort.

Still much to do, but folk are getting into it.  Traffic was fine after peak.  Roadworks have started up again, Goodna has had a rough trot with the endless drawn out roadworks without considering the flood impacts. 

[ozbob]

From the Courier Mail click here!

Emergency Medicare hike expected to raise $3.5bn flood funds

Emergency Medicare hike expected to raise $3.5bn flood funds

    * Dennis Atkins
    * From: The Courier-Mail
    * January 26, 2011 12:00AM

AUSTRALIANS will pay more tax under a temporary flood recovery levy set to be announced by Prime Minister Julia Gillard in Canberra tomorrow.

Ms Gillard and senior ministers, including her deputy and Treasurer Wayne Swan, Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese and Finance Minister Penny Wong, met yesterday to sign off on a new levy expected to raise $3.5 billion.

It is understood the favoured option is to increase the existing 1.5 per cent Medicare Levy.

The levy was expected to be announced next week after Mr Swan outlined expected flood damage costs in a speech on Friday, but ministers yesterday agreed to get the decision out "as soon as possible".

Ms Gillard is expected to use an address to the National Press Club to make the case for a levy.

While government sources were tight-lipped about the level of any increase, it is understood ministers are keen to keep the rise as small as possible and for it to be accompanied by significant savings from scrapping or deferring billions of dollars worth of spending proposals.

One suggestion is that the increase would be 0.5 per cent or less, which would take the current Medicare Levy to 2 per cent or below.

If it was 0.5 per cent, it would cost an average salary earner about $5 a week and give the Government just under $3.5 billion in a full year to be spent on rebuilding damaged infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, rail and other essential community amenities.

Applying the increase to the Medicare Levy would mean single taxpayers earning less than $18,488 and couples on $31,196 would be exempt. Each dependent child or student would add $2865 to the threshold.

Mr Swan yesterday made his most forceful case yet for a levy, saying: "The only responsible thing to do is to have all options on the table." He also said cutting spending could only provide so much.

"In responding to this crisis . . . we will have to make further savings but I don't think the Australian people would want us to respond by hacking into essential expenditure in health or education, sacking teachers or nurses," he said.

Mr Swan said the Government was determined to return the federal Budget to surplus as soon as economic growth returned to normal levels and this was not "some vague objective", but rather "the responsible thing to do".

While the Government expects general community support for a levy, especially in those states hardest hit by the floods, ministers are ready for a fierce political battle with the Opposition, which has been ramping up its rhetoric against "another great big new tax".

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says any levy is unnecessary and the costs could be funded by cutting fat in the system, such as scrapping the "cash for clunkers" car scheme, redirecting remaining stimulus money and taking money out of the funds for the National Broadband Network.

Shadow treasurer Joe Hockey said the Government would be "crazy" to introduce a new tax on the back of fruit and vegetable price rises.

Mr Swan criticised the Opposition for "playing politics", which he said the country could not afford.

He said any decision would be discussed with the Opposition and other parties and Independents in Parliament.

"When the Government takes its decisions we will naturally consult with all of the parties in the Parliament, we'll put it forward and we'll have hopefully a very productive and intelligent discussion about what the options before us are."

[Stillwater]

A levy was inevitable.  Of course, in all likelihood, it will not be temporary.  After it has run its course as a means to finance flood reconstruction, the government of the day would be tempted to say that medical costs have risen, the baby boomers are getting older and their bodies need repairing and we could all do with better hospitals with reduced waiting periods for surgery - therefore a higher medicare levy will remain.

[justanotheruser]

A levy was inevitable.  Of course, in all likelihood, it will not be temporary.  After it has run its course as a means to finance flood reconstruction, the government of the day would be tempted to say that medical costs have risen, the baby boomers are getting older and their bodies need repairing and we could all do with better hospitals with reduced waiting periods for surgery - therefore a higher medicare levy will remain.

Well the practice in the past is that they have not kept the increase so it doesn't seem likely.


I must admit I did like labor's response to the opposition being critical of the levy. Labor just pointed out all the levy's we had under the coalition party and then asked was a gun buyback scheme more important than helping flood victims. Oops backfire there coalition!

[mufreight]

Of course if this Fedral Government was more restrictive and prudent with the billions of dollars that is handed out to foreign countries to grease palms then this flood reconstruction levy would not be needed.   

[HappyTrainGuy]

Of course if this Fedral Government was more restrictive and prudent with the billions of dollars that is handed out to foreign countries to grease palms then this flood reconstruction levy would not be needed.  

Yep.

(I don't want to say anymore cos I don't want it turning into a potential argument).

[ozbob]

Courier Mail --> Rainfall dwarfed by 1974 figures

Rainfall dwarfed by 1974 figures

By Michael Madigan BRISBANE had more rainfall in the 1974 floods than it did in the latest episode, preliminary figures show ...

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Levy to pay for $5.6b flood bill

[ozbob]

From a brief report on ABC radio, 6 major road infrastructure projects are to be delayed in Queensland, no mention of rail at this time.

Need to wait for more detail.

========================

From the Courier Mail --> Gillard confirms one-off flood levy

[#Metro]

In addition to the levy, the government will scrap or defer a range of programs saving about $675 million, many of them in the carbon-reduction area.

Of the group, the Green Car Innovation fund will end, while the Clean Car fund will not go ahead. The carbon capture and storage and solar flagships will be pared back, and the Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute will have its funding affected.

Those backdoor subsidies to the car manufacturers look like they will be cut.
Car manufacturers are well established and make enough profits already, they can fund their own research.

Pity the solar flagships gets cut. Price on carbon good- long term this will be more effective at spurring innovation in the private sector and market take up of
green goods, than subsidies IMHO.

[ozbob]

The federal opposition are stupid to oppose this IMHO.  They go for a weapon buy back levy, this flood levy is as equally critical if not more so.

Bad, bad polyticks ....  the independents will now grandstand to the extreme.  Any chance of another election??  Shambles ...

[#Metro]

Oh it is levies and tax galore up there.
viz-


Aircraft Noise Levy
Firearms Buyback
Stevedoring Levy
Dairy Industry Adjustment Levy
Ansett Levy
Sugar Industry Levy

There are probably a few more, a little searching reveals:

Citrus Levy http://www.citrusaustralia.com.au/aspdev/levies/levies.asp

These projects are funded through the national citrus R&D levy which is matched by the Australian Government in a 50/50 agreement with Horticulture Australia Limited
(HAL).

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/opinion/politics/gillard-has-time-to-levy-and-recover-20110123-1a16v.html

[#Metro]

http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/download/library/prspub/ZCV76/upload_binary/zcv765.pdf;fileType%3Dapplication%2Fpdf

[ozbob]

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

Flood to deliver 'big hit' to Queensland economy

Flood to deliver 'big hit' to Queensland economy
January 27, 2011 - 1:04PM

Cutbacks to Queensland's budget will be announced tomorrow as the government funds the mammoth rebuilding task from the devastating floods.

Treasurer Andrew Fraser will release a preliminary estimate of the damage bill in the government's mid-year economic outlook, as well as an initial response.

Mr Fraser today foreshadowed a "big hit" to both the Queensland economy and the state budget following one of the state's worst natural disasters.

He said Treasury had been working with the Queensland Reconstruction Authority, federal and state government departments and local councils to assess the damage.

But it was still too early for a definitive number and the June budget would reveal a more accurate picture of the cost, he said.

Mr Fraser said tomorrow's response would map a way to rebuild the public assets like schools, roads and bridges that had been destroyed.

"We have to prioritise our response to this natural disaster above everything else," Mr Fraser said.

"A new fiscal strategy will allow us to focus on the urgent task of rebuilding damaged infrastructure.

"As I have already stated we will not be increasing tax rates or introducing new taxes to help pay the state's share of the damage bill.

"That means we will have to make savings to help fund the recovery effort."

AAP

Wait for the detail but simply rebuilding what was lost to again be lost is idiotic.  Future proofing is needed. 

[ozbob]

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

Queensland road projects delayed

Queensland road projects delayed
Daniel Hurst
January 27, 2011 - 1:23PM

An $86 million upgrade of the Bruce Highway between Caboolture and Caloundra is one of six Queensland road projects that will be delayed to save money for flood recovery.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard today unveiled spending cuts and a new one-off income levy to cover the mammoth cost of rebuilding after the floods.

She said $325 million would be saved by deferring the six Queensland road projects, listed below.
Advertisement: Story continues below

Ms Gillard said the floods had caused unprecedented damage to Queensland infrastructure and the reconstruction effort would be significant to get communities back on their feet.

"The task of reconstruction in Queensland may cause capacity constraints in certain sectors of the economy to emerge," she said.

"Re-prioritising projects requires tough decisions, with all infrastructure projects contributing to expanding productivity or improving safety.

"But delaying construction on one project frees up workers and material for rebuilding vital bridges, road and rail that has been damaged by the floods."

Ms Gillard said the federal government would re-prioritise about $1 billion of existing infrastructure projects, freeing up the necessary capacity to ensure a rapid reconstruction.

"The government will deliver every one of these deferred projects, and will recommence work immediately once reconstruction work in Queensland has been completed."

She said the project deferrals had been discussed with the Queensland government.

The federal government would also work closely with other state governments to identify projects for deferral, and would soon announce which of those would be affected.

The deferred Queensland infrastructure projects:

    * Upgrade of highway between Caboolture to Caloundra $86 million
    * Duplication of the highway from Vantassel Street, Townsville, to Flinders Highway $75 million
    * Alternate project arising from Herbert River floodplain study $40 million
    * Realign the highway from Sandy Corner to Collinsons Lagoon $40 million
    * Intersection upgrades along the Burdekin Road $20 million
    * Upgrade of highway between Cabbage Tree Creek to Carman Road and Back Creek Range $65 million

[ozbob]

==> http://www.treasury.gov.au/contentitem.asp?NavId=002&ContentID=1949

Flood levy and calculator

The Government announced, on 27 January 2011, that it will introduce a flood levy for the 2011-12 income year to assist affected communities recover from the recent floods and rebuild essential infrastructure. The levy forms part of a package of measures designed to assist affected communities.

The flood levy will apply to all taxpayers that have a taxable income of more than $50,000 in the 2011-12 income year. Taxpayers who have a taxable income of less than $50,000, or are in receipt of an Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment for a flood event that occurred during the 2010-11 income year will be exempt from paying the flood levy.

This page provides further details including the Prime Minister's media release, question and answers, a fact sheet, and a calculator to assist affected taxpayers to obtain an indicative estimate of their levy contribution.

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Queensland warned against weather complacency   

[justanotheruser]

From the ABC News click here!


"Where we receive evidence or tip-offs about fraudulent claiming, we will investigate them. If someone has claimed a payment through deliberate fraud they will be required to pay it back and may face prosecution."

- ABC/AAP

I guess this means they won't come after my family seem as we asked for payment for three people and received payment for four!  Perhaps we can make some arrangement to transfer the payment to the other parent who would have suffered in the toowoomba floods and therefore be entitled to the payment for the 2nd child.
[/quote]
spoke to centrelink and the answer is nobody knows if we will have to pay back the additional $400 although indications are that no we won't  because it is a clerical error and they don't want people to incur debts from these payments unless it is fraud.

[ozbob]

The Workshops Rail Museum will be holding a fund-raising "Thomas" event on Sunday 30th January to raise funds for the Flood Relief Appeal.

Details are --> here!

Please note that as it is for the purposes of fund-raising, Annual Pass holders will be asked to make a donation on entry.

[ozbob]

Premier and Minister for the Arts
The Honourable Anna Bligh
28/01/2011

TRANSCRIPT - PRESS CONFERENCE - 1:45PM FRIDAY 28 JAN

E & O E - PROOF ONLY

TRANSCRIPT

PRESS CONFERENCE

28 JANUARY 2011

RE: CYCLONE WARNINGS

PREMIER ANNA BLIGH: I've received very worrying advice from the Bureau of Meteorology which indicates that Tropical Cyclone Anthony has now intensified and has resulted in a cyclone watch warning being issued this afternoon. We expect that to be upgraded tomorrow to a cyclone warning with gale force winds on Sunday and the likelihood now of a potential Category 3 cyclone crossing the Queensland coast as early as Monday morning. It's likely to cross the coast somewhere between Bowen and Cairns. That however is not the end of it. The bureau is now watching with a great deal of concern, a weather formation in just off the coast of Fiji, which it expects to be a potentially Category 4 or 5 cyclone. Ah, it is making its way westward and at this stage could be at the Queensland coast anywhere north of Gladstone as early as next Thursday.

So on a worst case scenario, Queensland could see two tropical cyclones cross the coast in a matter of two or three, sorry, three or four days next week. But we know if you've lived in Queensland for a long time that tropical cyclones are notoriously temperamental and it's possible that both of them could de-intensify and go in another direction. But right now, all of the Bureau of Meteorology's models indicate that there is likely, a very high likelihood, of two tropical cyclones crossing the coast of Queensland, Monday and Thursday or Friday of next week.

In light of that, I have reactivated the State Disaster Management Group and it will meet again for the first time this afternoon at 5 o'clock. Many of you will know that the State Disaster Management Group elapsed last Friday in relation to the floods that we had seen across Queensland. It is today being reactivated to ensure that we are both prepared and ready to respond to what may be quite serious situations. In a similar vein, Deputy Commissioner Ian Stewart was this afternoon reappointed as the State Disaster Management Coordinator across Queensland. Ian will lead the emergency preparedness work that will now happen over the next couple of days. So I might invite Ian to make some comments about the work that he's already started today.

DC IAN STEWART: Thank you Premier. Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Yes, we have already activated our DDCs across the state - so the superintendents in charge of those districts that are likely to be affected - and they are basically from Gladstone to Cairns. They will be meeting with their local counterparts in local government; the local disaster management groups are already alert and active in relation to this latest threat. We certainly don't want to panic people. That is not the purpose of this. It is simply to make sure that Queensland is as well-prepared as possible for any likely impact of the storms that are ahead of us.

Certainly I'd be asking people to think about stocking up on essential items, but there is no need for panic-buying. Make sure that they have fuel in their vehicles, items in their yards around their houses that could become missiles put away or tied down.

PREMIER: Both of the systems could also bring substantial rain across the coast and into other catchments, so it's not only the cyclonic event that we'll be concerned about, but whether as we saw with Cyclone Tasha on Christmas Day, there is related flooding in other parts of Queensland. So we are battening down the hatches once more. We hope that both of these weather formations disappear out to sea somewhere, but on all current modelling the bureau's best advice is that the most likely outcome is for both of these cyclones to cross the Queensland coast next week and we have to be ready for that possibility. That is why the State Disaster Management Group is now meeting as of this afternoon, and we have our local disaster groups activated right up the Queensland coast. Obviously as the cyclones get closer, we'll be able to have a better sense of where the most likely crossover points are. With Tropical Cyclone Anthony, the Bowen to Cairns area is the most likely. T he weather formation off the coast of Fiji has not formally been declared a cyclone yet, although that's what it's forming into and it's doing so very rapidly I understand. It's up to the Fiji government to name it; I understand where it is declared a cyclone, it will be named Yasi.

JOURNALIST: Can Queensland cope with two big storms after the floods?

PREMIER: Queensland I think we've seen over the last four to five weeks has a sensational team out there at the frontline of our emergency response. We're very grateful we've had a lot of teams from other states and here giving our emergency responders, whether it's police, emergency rescue or fire and rescue, giving them a rest. They ready to respond if we do see these events.

Obviously like every other Queenslander, I hope we are spared, but we are well-prepared if this is what eventuates.

JOURNALIST: Patrick just spoke over you what did you say the cyclone, the Fiji Government would name it?

PREMIER: Yasi, Y-A-S-I.

JOURNALIST: (Inaudible)

PREMIER: The Bureau of Meteorology advises me that they are more worried about the second system in terms of its size and its likely impact. It is according to the bureau a very large cloud formation likely to bring very substantial amounts of rainfall and at this stage could be a Category 4. By way of comparison, the most recent cyclone that Queensland saw was Cyclone Ului that crossed the coast at Airlie Beach last year. That cyclone was a very low Category 3 and if you recall it did take roofs off some houses, caused substantial damage to the marina and massive crop damage.

JOURNALIST: Have you had sort of any preliminary advice as to how much damage these two storms back to back could cause or is it impossible to tell?

PREMIER: It's impossible to tell. Obviously it depends on where it crosses the coast. If it crosses in an area of large population and development, then it's potentially a very serious event. If it crosses somewhere that's quite remote, well it would be less of a problem. At this stage we have to be prepared for anything, and we are.

JOURNALIST: The rain that's likely to be coming with them as well. Do you have any idea how far that's (inaudible) in?

PREMIER: No, I'm sorry, at this stage we are still as I said the warning this afternoon that will be issued by the bureau is a cyclone watch, upgrading to a cyclone warning tomorrow. So you will begin to hear cyclone sirens tomorrow on radio, unless this system has a dramatic change overnight.

JOURNALIST: How worried are you that there will be more serious flooding?

PREMIER: These are two very worrying weather events. I am very concerned if we see two such events come across the Queensland coast. Not only that we might see serious damage at the point where they cross, but that there may be subsequent flooding into other catchments further away from where they cross. Cyclone Tasha that crossed the Queensland coast on December 25th was a Category 1 cyclone and you've seen the devastation that has been wrought ever since. So we need to understand that this is, we are, we were given warnings in October that we were in for a very difficult wet season. We are a long way from that wet season being over. I hope that next week goes without any event, but on the current predictions and modelling of the bureau, that is unlikely and we have to be prepared for it.

==============================================================

[ozbob]

From the Courier Mail click here!

Devastating scenario painted for southeast river system after Brisbane floods

Devastating scenario painted for southeast river system after Brisbane floods

    * Michael Madigan
    * From: The Courier-Mail
    * January 29, 2011 12:00AM

A MASSIVE rain event across the southeast's waterways would nearly double property damage from the January floods to more than 47,000 properties.

Environmental scientist Miriam Middelmann has outlined the unlikely but devastating scenario in a flood risk paper done for the Queensland Government.

An internal Government report on the Wivenhoe Dam during a serious 1999 flood has also suggested the dam has proven its ability as a flood mitigation tool.

Ms Middelmann's paper, Flood Risk in South East Queensland Australia, examined what would occur if a "one-in-a-hundred year flood event" occurred simultaneously across all southeast rivers.

The scenario's impact dwarfs the estimated 27,000 properties hit by the January floods with more than 47,400 developed properties would be affected with more than half facing above-floor inundation.

"Ninety per cent of the properties at risk are in the Brisbane-Bremer and Gold Coast river systems which have approximately 70 per cent of the population of southeast Queensland," it says.

The Gold Coast, which this month avoided the calamity, would be right in the firing line.

The paper suggested the large number of buildings at risk in the southeast was "exacerbated by the absence of state-wide floodplain management regulations".

Population growth combined with "low awareness" of flood risk compounded the problem.

Of more concern was the conclusion the proposed flood event would hit up to 50 "sensitive facilities" associated with public safety and utilities.

The paper was put up at the Geoscience Australia web site in November 2009 but uses data about 10 years old.

It is certain the inundation would claim many more properties after a decade of development.

But evidence also emerged this week that the region's chief flood mitigation device has worked well in the past.

The Wivenhoe Dam faced a one-in-200 year flood event

in February 1999, when fallout from Cyclone Rona

led to flooding in the upper Brisbane River "of similar magnitude" to January 1974, according to a 53-page report delivered to the South East Queensland Water Board that year.

Apart from minor flooding in the southeast, Brisbane residents remained mostly unaffected, and largely unaware of the bullet they had just ducked.

[ozbob]

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

Dual cyclone flooding could be worse than past month: Bligh

Dual cyclone flooding could be worse than past month: Bligh
Lisa Martin
January 29, 2011

Two potential tropical cyclones threatening to hit the Queensland coast could bring flooding worse than that experienced over the past month, Premier Anna Bligh says.

Ms Bligh has re-activated the Queensland Disaster Management Group, made up of the state's top emergency officials, which met last night.

Cyclone Anthony was set to intensify from a category one to a category three system and hit between Innisfail and Sarina late Sunday or early Monday, Ms Bligh told reporters after last night's meeting.

Meanwhile, it is feared a tropical low about 1500km northeast of Vanuatu could build into a category four cyclone and hit north of Gladstone on Thursday.

That tropical low is expected to be named Yasi by the Fijian government.

"The second event is likely to be much more serious with significantly more rainfall and high winds attached to it," Ms Bligh said.

"The events could be as serious if not more serious than what we have seen in the last few weeks."

At 4pm (AEST) on Friday, Anthony was about 980 kilometres east-northeast of Townsville but was expected to move southwest on Saturday.

Ms Bligh said 13 councils were on high alert.

Rains brought by Cyclone Tasha, a category one system that crossed the Queensland coast on Christmas Day last year, led to flooding in an area the size of France and Germany.

"We're battening down the hatches once more ... We hope both these weather formations disappear out at sea somewhere," she said.

"But on all current modelling, the bureau's best advice is that both of these cyclones will cross the Queensland coast next week, and we have to be ready for that possibility."

The premier said the cyclone warnings were grim news as the state rebuilds from the recent flood disaster.

"Last year, we were given warnings of a very difficult wet season and we are a long way from that wet season being over," she said.

Ms Bligh urged people to remain calm, but to be prepared and to secure their property.

Deputy police commissioner Ian Stewart has been re-appointed as the state disaster co-ordinator.

He said there was no need for panic buying, but people should ensure they are prepared.

"I'm asking people to stock up on essential items," Mr Stewart told reporters in Brisbane.

"Make sure there's fuel in vehicles."

AAP

[ozbob]

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

Blame me if there are bungles: Bligh

Blame me if there are bungles: Bligh
January 29, 2011

Queensland Premier Anna Bligh says she will take the rap if money for the flood reconstruction is mismanaged.

Ms Bligh said it was only fair that Queenslanders held her responsible.

"People will hold me accountable, and my government accountable for it, and so they should," she told Network Ten.

But, echoing Prime Minister Julia Gillard, who spent much yesterday defending the $5.6 billion spend, Ms Bligh insisted the process would be transparent and accountable.

The Queensland portion will be overseen by the reconstruction authority headed by Mick Slater, which will be required by law to report publicly and be audited.

"This will be a very transparent expenditure of funds," she said.

"Everyone will see. This is not just going into consolidated revenue and disappearing, if you like, into the state budget."

Even as Queensland braces for the arrival of two cyclones next week, Ms Bligh said infrastructure projects would be getting under way as soon as possible.

The top priority was to get transport up and running.

"Many of the roads are open, but they have load limits on them because they have been structurally weakened and we need to get them fully operational for major traffic," she said.

"Rail lines are still - and for some months are - going to take major, major repair. So, certainly opening up all of those export lines for infrastructure is the first priority."

AAP

[mufreight]

There is no question as to there having been bungles although incompetence would be a more honest description so since the Premier has stated that she personaly accepts responsibility then why may one ask has she not had the integrity to resign.

[Jonno]

There is no question as to there having been bungles although incompetence would be a more honest description so since the Premier has stated that she personaly accepts responsibility then why may one ask has she not had the integrity to resign.

That is clutching at straws I suspect

[ozbob]

No wonder they are all a bit toey ...

=============================

http://www.bom.gov.au/lam/climate/levelthree/c20thc/cyclone3.htm

Gold Coast cyclone, February 1954

Most damage from tropical cyclones affecting Australia's east coast occurs in coastal areas of northern and central Queensland. Occasionally, however, the severe effects of a cyclone extend south into northeastern New South Wales. One of the worst such storms struck in February 1954.

Cyclones had already caused widespread flooding in northern Queensland early in February when, on the 17th, a new cyclone moved from the Coral Sea towards the central Queensland coast. Nearing the coast, the cyclone swung south, and heavy rain and gales lashed the coast right down to the NSW border. By the 19th, it appeared that the cyclone was curving southeastward away from the Queensland coast, in keeping with the normal pattern. But cyclone movement is notoriously erratic, and it abruptly swung south again, passing within 100 km of Brisbane, and battering the capital with wind-gusts over 100 km/h.

As the eye of the cyclone crossed the coast at Coolangatta there was a brief calm, and air pressure dropped to 973 hPa. But as the cyclone moved on, the buffeting winds surrounding the eye quickly returned. In what was termed "the worst storm in living memory", the Gold Coast area (along with parts of Brisbane and the Sunshine coast) suffered widespread structural damage. Beaches were scoured by tremendous seas, and torrential rain and storm surges combined to cause devastating flooding. On the foreshore at Beachmere, the storm surge deposited boats in tree-tops. In the Gold Coast hinterland, where mountainous terrain lifts strong, rain-laden southeast winds that sweep around the southern flank of coastal cyclones, the heavy rains were amplified further. Springbrook, on the headwaters of the Nerang River, received about 900 mm of rain within 24 hours.

The storm had lost little, if any, of its intensity, when it reached northern NSW. Near Cudgen, houses were blown apart, and trees more than one metre in diameter were twisted out of the ground. Moving inland, the cyclone passed west of Lismore, then south again towards Sydney. Torrential rain swiftly converted creeks and tributaries into torrents, and rivers rose rapidly. What was said to be a wall of water moving down the Richmond River hit Lismore early in the evening; the waters rose so quickly that many people were trapped. Some were rescued from rooftops and other refuges; some were not so lucky. Gales whipped up large waves on the swollen Richmond River, which in one place was over 11 km wide. In all, 26 people died.

It wasn't until 1971, when cyclone "Althea" hammered Townsville and Magnetic Island in Queensland, that another cyclone inflicted serious damage on a heavily-populated area. Within three years of "Althea", however, two more cyclones were to have a profound impact on major Australian cities.

[ozbob]

I flew into Townsville shortly after Althea had gone through in 1971.  It was a mess.  The Gold Coast is now a major population centre.  Let's hope this potential cyclone Yasi out near Fiji stays out in the high seas. 

[justanotheruser]

There is no question as to there having been bungles although incompetence would be a more honest description so since the Premier has stated that she personaly accepts responsibility then why may one ask has she not had the integrity to resign.

so what are the bungles?  Are they ones related to what she made the comments about? I doubt it because the comments were made specifically in relation to rebuilding not anything else. 

Of course according to the quoted article she never said she would resign. She said she should be held accountable which means at the next state election if you are unhappy you should vote for someone else. In queensland it is very easy in state elections to direct preferences as well. Can someone tell me did she say on the TV interview she would resign? Of course the measurment of if it is done properly was not given so it will come down to a matter of opinion even if she did say she would resign. She will just say acording to the measurement she set.

[mufreight]

One of the key bungles was the government leglislating to use Wivenhoe dam as a water supply dam rather than the flood mitigation dam that it was designed to be.
The original design for Wivenhoe was that entering into the summer wet season the dam was to be at a maximum 40% capacity level, Somerset was the water supply.
As a consequence of the directions of the Bligh government to the water supply authority Wivenhoe was at 107% capacity when it should have been at 40% or lower, this 60%+ of capacity would have meant a flood level of some 3m or more lower which would have saved billions in flood damage and a number of lives.
If that is not a bungle of monumental stupidity bordering on criminal negligence what is? ask some of those whose houses and businesses had water through them that had the flood levels been that 3m lower would not have occoured for their opinion.  

[Golliwog]

Is there a link to the Wivenhoe Dam manual somewhere? I haven't read it yet. But I thought the 40/60% split was still in place for the ratio between water storage and flood mitigation. But because the top 60% isn't used for water storage whenever they talk about how much water we have stored its as a percentage of that 40%, so when it was at 107% just before all the rain at the start of the week it was really only a little over that 40%.

Also where are you getting that it would have been 3m lower from? And not to trivialise the lives lost, weren't most of them from Toowoomba and the Lockyer Valley which is not above Wivenhoe Dam, so have nothing to do with the operation of the Dam.

[somebody]

Is there a link to the Wivenhoe Dam manual somewhere?

http://pan.search.qld.gov.au/search/click.cgi?rank=3&collection=qld-gov&component=0&docnum=204155&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.derm.qld.gov.au%2Fwater%2Fregulation%2Fflood-response%2Fdocuments%2Fmanual-operational-procedures.pdf&index_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.derm.qld.gov.au%2Fwater%2Fregulation%2Fflood-response%2Fdocuments%2Fmanual-operational-procedures.pdf&search_referer=http%3A%2F%2Fderm.qld.gov.au%2F&query=wivenhoe&profile=derm&identifier=1296352756.602

And not to trivialise the lives lost, weren't most of them from Toowoomba and the Lockyer Valley which is not above Wivenhoe Dam, so have nothing to do with the operation of the Dam.

That's correct.  Only the person in Durack who went back in before they were supposed was lost below Wivenhow, at least as far as I know.

One of the key bungles was the government leglislating to use Wivenhoe dam as a water supply dam rather than the flood mitigation dam that it was designed to be.
The original design for Wivenhoe was that entering into the summer wet season the dam was to be at a maximum 40% capacity level, Somerset was the water supply.
As a consequence of the directions of the Bligh government to the water supply authority Wivenhoe was at 107% capacity when it should have been at 40% or lower, this 60%+ of capacity would have meant a flood level of some 3m or more lower which would have saved billions in flood damage and a number of lives.
If that is not a bungle of monumental stupidity bordering on criminal negligence what is? ask some of those whose houses and businesses had water through them that had the flood levels been that 3m lower would not have occoured for their opinion.  

That's an apples/oranges comparison.  The 107% is of the 40%, so really 42.8%.  However, should the level have been <40%?  I say definitely, and forbidden by an act of Parliament.  Somerset was also above its Full Supply Level.

EDIT: The critical issue though was the inappropriate release rates in the lead up.  Whether higher releases would have flooded areas of Brisbane, I'm not sure, but if they would have then we have inappropriate town planning.

[shiftyphil]

One of the key bungles was the government leglislating to use Wivenhoe dam as a water supply dam rather than the flood mitigation dam that it was designed to be.
The original design for Wivenhoe was that entering into the summer wet season the dam was to be at a maximum 40% capacity level, Somerset was the water supply.
As a consequence of the directions of the Bligh government to the water supply authority Wivenhoe was at 107% capacity when it should have been at 40% or lower, this 60%+ of capacity would have meant a flood level of some 3m or more lower which would have saved billions in flood damage and a number of lives.
If that is not a bungle of monumental stupidity bordering on criminal negligence what is? ask some of those whose houses and businesses had water through them that had the flood levels been that 3m lower would not have occoured for their opinion.  

That's completely false. Wivenhoe was at the "100%" (40% of total capacity)level it was designed to be at. The BOM river level and Seqwater storage level records show this. Late last year the opposition was complaining that too much water was being released, and wanted to reduce the flood mitigation capacity in favour of water storage.

http://www.jplangbroek.com/labor-not-interested-in-wivenhoe-%E2%80%98rethink%E2%80%99/

"Isn't this release of water from Wivenhoe when it's holding only 40 per cent of its available capacity a clear indication the Government has learnt nothing from the water crisis and is still failing to plan for the next inevitable drought," Mr Seeney asked Minister Stephen Robertson.

http://www.qt.com.au/story/2010/10/12/dams-stay-open-until-rain-stops/
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/damned-if-they-do-the-lnps-water-problem-20110124-1a2uq.html

[somebody]

That's completely false. Wivenhoe was at the "100%" (40% of total capacity)level it was designed to be at. The BOM river level and Seqwater storage level records show this. Late last year the opposition was complaining that too much water was being released, and wanted to reduce the flood mitigation capacity in favour of water storage.

Did you read my above post?  Level was 106.3% of the "Full Supply Level", a.k.a. the 40% level at 6am on Fri 7/1/2011.  See this link: http://seqwater.com.au/public/catch-store-treat/dams/wivenhoe-dam

Didn't get down to the full supply since 29 Nov 2010 at any measured point.

You are correct that statement by the opposition is a major gaffe.

[shiftyphil]

Did you read my above post?  Level was 106.3% of the "Full Supply Level", a.k.a. the 40% level at 6am on Fri 7/1/2011.  See this link: http://seqwater.com.au/public/catch-store-treat/dams/wivenhoe-dam

Didn't get down to the full supply since 29 Nov 2010 at any measured point.

It was let down to 100% (within a reasonable error margin) on the 5th - there's only one measurement per day shown on that graph.
EDIT The BOM has better graphs, but only go back 4 days (can't find any historical data.) http://www.bom.gov.au/fwo/IDQ65389/IDQ65389.540177.plt.shtml

EDIT: Anyway, the main point was to dispute the fact that somehow they hadn't released water at all when it went above supply capacity. The graph clearly shows the level dropping back to ~100% after each peak.

You are correct that statement by the opposition is a major gaffe.

I brought it up more to prove that water was being released than to bash the opposition.

[somebody]

Looks like the water release rate was governed by the "flood compartment should be emptied within 7 days" rule, but on the assumption that no further rain fell.  This was a high risk strategy if further rain was forecast to fall, which I believe it was.

[ozbob]

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

"David and Goliath" cyclones bear down on Queensland

"David and Goliath" cyclones bear down on Queensland
Daniel Hurst
January 30, 2011 - 2:21PM

The two cyclones bearing down on the Queensland coast could be a case of "David and Goliath", with the second system expected to be bigger and more devastating, Premier Anna Bligh said today.

Cyclone Anthony intensified to a category-two system just before 2pm today and is expected to cross the coast near Ayr, in north Queensland, either late tonight or in the early hours of tomorrow morning.

The cyclone is at present 360 kilometres east of Townsville, with a warning zone currently stretching along the coast from Cardwell to Sarina, the Bureau of Meteorology said.

However, the bureau is more worried about another intense tropical low near Vanuatu, which is expected to develop into a cyclone, named Yasi, and potentially cross the Queensland coast on Thursday morning.

The prospect of two cyclones crossing the coast within four days of each other comes after three quarters of Queensland was declared a disaster zone in the wake of devastating flooding.

Ms Bligh described the two cyclones as "David and Goliath", with Cyclone Anthony expected to be "quite smaller than the second event".

She said Anthony could make landfall anywhere between 10pm tonight and 4am tomorrow.

"This is a system that is likely to bring with it rainfall of 200 to 300 mm but could have 400mm in parts," she said.

She said Anthony should not be underestimated, with wind gusts of more than 120km/h likely and damage expected.

Evacuation centres would be ready to take people after the cyclone struck land, but the safest place for people was to remain in their homes and secure loose items, she said.

"Today is a day to batten down the hatches," she said.

Ms Bligh said authorities had "very serious concerns" about the second low-pressure system, expected to form into a tropical cyclone today and bring with it "very significant gale force winds".

A cyclone watch for the second system was likely to be issued tomorrow, she said.

It was likely to make landfall by Thursday morning, 12 hours earlier than initially predicted, she said.

"The second system is a very large system; it is a very large rainfall system as well as potentially a very significant cyclone,'' Ms Bligh said.

''So we're looking at not only a potentially damaging cyclone but more very heavy rainfall, depending on where it falls, which could fall into river catchments and cause further flooding beyond the cyclone,'' she said.

Ms Bligh said despite the recent devastating flooding that tested emergency resources, authorities were well-rested and ready to respond to the latest cyclone events.

"We are not battle weary, we are battle ready," she said.

Ms Bligh said the Abbot Point coal terminal had closed, Hay Point was about to close, Townsville ferry operations had ceased, and the Sunlander rail service to and from Cairns had been cancelled.

In Townsville, shelters had been opened for homeless people and caravan park residents.

The Bureau of Meteorology's Jim Davidson said Cyclone Anthony was expected to develop into a category two system by 2pm local time today.

"The destructive winds could be up to 140km/h," he said.

Mr Davidson said the gale force winds may be felt to an extent of 140 or 150 kilometres, while the gales associated with the second system could extend 300 or 400 kilometres.

The second system would bring more raise and create a "storm tide threat".

Mr Davidson said it would be very large area of impact but it was too early to predict its intensity.

He said the system was still far off the Queensland coast to accurate predict where it would cross the coast.

However, landfall could potentially occur anywhere between Cooktown in far north Queensland and Hervey Bay, a 1500-kilometre stretch of coast, Mr Davidson said.

"It's not inevitable [that the cyclone will cross the coast] but there's a good likelihood that we will see a fairly large system on the Queensland coast by Thursday," he said.

"The models have been absolutely consistent now for some days in generating a tropical disturbance ... and moving it westward across the Queensland coast."

He said forecasting models, which were becoming more sophisticated, were picked up the system four or five days ago.

"It's quite unusual to have a forecast this far out," he said.

"It doesn't happen very often and I guess that's why we're taking it very seriously."

Ms Bligh added: "This is a very disturbing weather pattern."

Earlier, bureau senior forecaster Gordon Banks said Cyclone Anthony would intensify before crossing the coast near Ayr by tomorrow morning.

"At the moment it has wind gusts to 120km/h near its centre and that's quite high in the category one range, so if those gusts increase by, say, another 10km/h it will be a very weak category two system," Mr Banks said.

"We do expect a slight intensification over the next 12 hours as it moves towards the coast."

The bureau warns that gusts in excess of 120km/h may be felt within an 80km radius of the cyclone's eye, and that more than 200mm of rain could fall.

Flood warnings are current for coastal rivers and streams between Townsville and Sarina and inland catchments.

Onshore winds and air pressure are expected to raise the sea level by one metre, but in some good news for the region, the crossing is predicted to coincide with the low tide.

"So that is very handy. There's about a two-and-half metre difference between low and high tide so that should comfortably absorb any storm surge affect," Mr Banks said.

The cyclone is expected to weaken rapidly, and be downgraded to a tropical low by 7am tomorrow.

"Obviously it's going to weaken rapidly as soon as it interacts with the coast," Mr Banks said.

Burdekin Shire mayor Lyn McLaughlin said homes in businesses in the region had been preparing.

"Our biggest concern will be the trees and the foliage that come down, which could then take down power," Ms McLaughlin told the ABC.

"There could be some isolated damage to residences or buildings, but on the whole I think the biggest challenge will be, firstly the damage from the trees, and secondly the amount of rain."

- with AAP