QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT PRAISES EMERGENCY RESPONSE AS MARY RIVER CONTINUES TO RISE
Published Friday, 24 August, 2007 at 01:29 PM
JOINT STATEMENT
Premier and Minister for Trade
The Honourable Peter Beattie
Deputy Premier, Treasurer and Minister for Infrastructure
The Honourable Anna Bligh
Premier Peter Beattie today urged people on the Sunshine Coast and in the catchment area of the Mary River in particular to exercise extreme caution on the roads, especially near waterways.
The Premier said the Minister for Emergency Services, Neil Roberts was monitoring the situation from the Tewantin Control Centre of the SES.
“I want to commend the Police and the SES and other emergency services for their work during this intense weather cycle,” the Premier said.
“I know many homes are already isolated and the Police and SES are working with the organisers of the Gympie Muster to ensure the thousands of people attending are safe and well.
Mr Beattie said reports from the area indicated that the Mary River still had a long way to rise.
“Mary River flow rates, according to Sunwater, have today risen from a norm of 20Ml per day to more than 23,500 ML per day,
“This 10am reading was taken at Dagun Pocket, close to where the State Government intends to build the $1.7 billion Traveston Crossing Dam (Stage 1) which has a capacity of 153,00 ML or an annul yield of 70,000Ml .
“The Dagun Pocket flow rate at 7.30am was 12,000ML a day .
“Flow rates upstream at 7.30am at Moy Pocket were also in the order of 15,000 ML a day and rising,” Mr Beattie said.
Deputy Premier Anna Bligh said from Cairns, that she would convene a meeting of the State’s Emergency Management Committee upon her return to Brisbane later this afternoon.
“According to the Bureau of Meteorology rainfall along the Coast and in the Mary Valley has been very high.
“Rainfall in the past 24 hours varied from 80 to 120 mm (to 9am).
“A lot of water has fallen and more is expected. The Gympie region has a long history of devastating flooding and I want to ensure all government agencies are well prepared,” Ms Bligh said.
The Deputy Premier urged people considering travelling to the area for the Gympie Muster to check on road conditions before setting out.
“The Gympie Muster is a huge event and important to the local community but safety must come first.
“Police advise that at present all vehicle traffic been stopped in and out of the site because of the risk. The police continue to evaluate the situation and it will be re-opened when it is safe to do so
“I would urge people to follow their directions to the letter for their own safety.”
Meantime Ms Bligh welcomed the announcement by the Queensland Water Commission that rain fall in the Wivenhoe catchment could mean the delay of Level 6 water restrictions until early December.
“It’s far too early for any of us to throw away our shower timers but even a short reprieve from harsher water restrictions will be welcome,” she said.
“We must all keep up our efforts to save every drop.”
Friday August 24, 2007
For more information:
Premier’s Office – 3224 4500
Deputy Premier’s Office – 3224 6900
The Premier said the Minister for Emergency Services, Neil Roberts was monitoring the situation from the Tewantin Control Centre of the SES.
“I want to commend the Police and the SES and other emergency services for their work during this intense weather cycle,” the Premier said.
“I know many homes are already isolated and the Police and SES are working with the organisers of the Gympie Muster to ensure the thousands of people attending are safe and well.
Mr Beattie said reports from the area indicated that the Mary River still had a long way to rise.
“Mary River flow rates, according to Sunwater, have today risen from a norm of 20Ml per day to more than 23,500 ML per day,
“This 10am reading was taken at Dagun Pocket, close to where the State Government intends to build the $1.7 billion Traveston Crossing Dam (Stage 1) which has a capacity of 153,00 ML or an annul yield of 70,000Ml .
“The Dagun Pocket flow rate at 7.30am was 12,000ML a day .
“Flow rates upstream at 7.30am at Moy Pocket were also in the order of 15,000 ML a day and rising,” Mr Beattie said.
Deputy Premier Anna Bligh said from Cairns, that she would convene a meeting of the State’s Emergency Management Committee upon her return to Brisbane later this afternoon.
“According to the Bureau of Meteorology rainfall along the Coast and in the Mary Valley has been very high.
“Rainfall in the past 24 hours varied from 80 to 120 mm (to 9am).
“A lot of water has fallen and more is expected. The Gympie region has a long history of devastating flooding and I want to ensure all government agencies are well prepared,” Ms Bligh said.
The Deputy Premier urged people considering travelling to the area for the Gympie Muster to check on road conditions before setting out.
“The Gympie Muster is a huge event and important to the local community but safety must come first.
“Police advise that at present all vehicle traffic been stopped in and out of the site because of the risk. The police continue to evaluate the situation and it will be re-opened when it is safe to do so
“I would urge people to follow their directions to the letter for their own safety.”
Meantime Ms Bligh welcomed the announcement by the Queensland Water Commission that rain fall in the Wivenhoe catchment could mean the delay of Level 6 water restrictions until early December.
“It’s far too early for any of us to throw away our shower timers but even a short reprieve from harsher water restrictions will be welcome,” she said.
“We must all keep up our efforts to save every drop.”
Friday August 24, 2007
For more information:
Premier’s Office – 3224 4500
Deputy Premier’s Office – 3224 6900