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| Ken Smith |
A KEY figure involved in the handling of Queensland's floods disaster has been called on to provide evidence at the inquiry by phone.
Ken Smith headed Premier Anna Bligh's department at the time of the disaster and is now based in London.
Questions were asked when the former director-general of the Department of Premier and Cabinet was called upon to provide only a written statement to the inquiry.
This was despite media reports that he'd received crucial information about the operation of Wivenhoe Dam two days before Brisbane flooded.
Evidence has emerged that Mr Smith received an email from the SEQ WaterGrid Manager on January 9 saying the dam was releasing water under a transitional strategy, rather than more rapid releases designed to protect urban areas.
The email was reportedly forwarded to the Premier's email address.
It contradicts Seqwater's final report which said a higher release strategy was employed on January 8.
Mr Smith is expected to give evidence by phone at the floods inquiry as the last witness on Friday.
In other developments on Thursday, the flood inquiry has been extended, but the much-anticipated report will still be ready by March 16, the commission says.
The commission had already been extended to sit on Saturday, but it will sit a further two days on Tuesday and Wednesday as lawyers grapple with the mountains of documentation associated with the operation of the dams.
A commission spokesman said the report would still be handed to Premier Anna Bligh on March 16.
The extra days will continue without stood-aside deputy commissioner Phil Cummins, who is not expected to take any further part in the inquiry
With the extra days expected to continue covering the operation of Wivenhoe Dam and the performance of Seqwater, Justice Catherine Holmes said that it was "just simpler" not to have Mr Cummins involved after a potential conflict of interest uncovered by The Courier-Mail.
"I've decided it's just simpler and puts everything beyond argument if I don't seek any assistance from Mr Cummins in relation to this last part of commission's work which concerns Seqwater," Justice Holmes said on February 5.
"That won't present me with any particular difficulty, because the decisions I have to make are essentially about credibility, and they are not ones in which I can be helped by technical advice.
"Mr Cummins remains a deputy commissioner, but he won't participate in this part of the commission's work."
http://www.couriermail.com.au/
10.2.12
