North Queensland state school closures begin ahead of cyclone threat

• North Queensland state schools have started communicating with their communities today if they are going to be closed tomorrow due to developing Tropical Cyclone Kirrily based on advice from Emergency Services.

• The school closures website closures.qld.edu.au is updated in real-time and includes details of school and early childhood centres that are currently closed.
• This list may continue to grow as heavy rains continue, and we’ll be in touch with school communities around the state to keep them updated.

The safety of our communities is the number one priority for the Queensland Government.

For this reason we are closing a number of North Queensland state schools on 25 January as a precaution due to developing Tropical Cyclone Kirrily based on advice from Emergency Services.

The school closures website closures.qld.edu.au is updated in real-time and includes details of school and early childhood centres that are currently closed.

This list may continue to grow as heavy rains continue, and we’ll be in touch with school communities around the state to keep them updated.

Schools will be communicating with their communities today if they are going to be closed tomorrow.

The Queensland Education Department continues to follow the advice of the Queensland Disaster Management Committee and local emergency services regarding the potential impacts of severe weather events on our communities.

We all know that major flood events – whether riverine or flash flooding – in particular can impact on local school communities very quickly and without warning in some cases.

Residents should listen to their local ABC Radio service for updates and advice as the situation progresses.

Further information about current weather conditions can be found on the Bureau of Meteorology website at www.bom.gov.au

Quotes attributable to the Education Minister Di Farmer:

"Schools can often be forced to close within minutes if low lying areas become water-logged or river levels reach critically high levels.

“We urge all school communities in affected areas to remain vigilant and keep up-to-date with the latest weather warnings and alerts.

“Parents, families and children are urged to not take risks, and be especially cautious around floodwater, or swift flowing water. Remember: If it’s flooded, forget it.”

MEDIA CONTACT: Gary Shipway 0458 090906