Fire and Emergency Services Minister to inspect NQ storm damage

Fire and Emergency Services Minister Craig Crawford today (Friday) recognised the work of QFES staff involved in the response to this week's flooding in north Queensland.

Ahead of an inspection with Townsville Mayor Cr Jenny Hill, Mr Crawford said fire and emergency services staff, and SES volunteers had been kept busy by the torrential rainfall.

“I will be in Townsville early this morning to look at the situation first-hand with the local MPs and Cr Hill,” Mr Crawford said.

“I’ll also be meeting our hard-working Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) crews, and reporting back on the situation to the Premier,” Mr Crawford said.

Minister for Communities and Minister for Disability Services and Seniors and Member for Mundingburra Coralee O’Rourke said the SES received 87 call outs from 9am Wednesday to 5pm yesterday. (Thursday).

Ms O’Rourke said 79 calls were recorded in Townsville, five in the Burdekin and three in Charters Towers.

“QFES crews continue to respond to requests for assistance following the deluge the region received,” Ms O’Rourke said.

“Crews were in communities at the first opportunity – and extra Swift Water Rescue resources have been deployed in the region.”

Member for Townsville Scott Stewart reminded motorists of the dangers of driving through floodwaters in the wake of the drenching.

“It doesn’t matter what kind of car you drive, how experienced you are, or how badly you need to get across that road: if it’s flooded, forget it,” Mr Stewart said.

“It doesn’t matter if you’ve driven the road a hundred times before. It’s not safe and it puts more lives at risk than just yours. It’s better to be a home a little bit later than not make it home at all,” he said.

Member for Thuringowa Aaron Harper said parents needed to ensure their children understood the dangers of floodwaters and playing near storm drains or causeways.

“As a former emergency services worker with 25 years’ experience, I know how important it is for people to listen to local radio and visit the Bureau of Meteorology website for the latest warnings and weather updates,” Mr Harper said.

“If you are out and about, or if you live or work near waterways then you need to be aware of the status of those waterways.”

Mayor Jenny Hill said the worst of the weather appeared to be over but reminded residents to stay safe.

“While the rain is welcome, a huge amount of it has come down over Townsville during the past week and parts of the city have been damaged by floodwaters,” Cr Hill said.

“Apart from a couple of dills, the community were fantastic and made sure they stayed safe during the big wet. Now we are switching into recovery mode and Council crews will be out scouting the city to find any damage and repair it.”

QFES Northern Region Acting Assistant Commissioner Michael O’Neil urged the community to stay vigilant when moving around the region.

“Please obey road closures and drive to conditions. Road conditions may change as water recedes, so a road you drove on last week may no longer be safe,” he said.

“We need everyone to stay out of floodwater because even if the water isn’t moving swiftly there could be dangers lurking underneath.”  

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) crews are ready to respond and are closely monitoring any areas of concern. For SES assistance call 132 500 and for life threatening emergencies, always call Triple Zero (000).

ENDS

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