Seqwater remains in denial over 2011 Brisbane River flood

Engineers Australia -
Think they are smarter
than a Supreme Court Judge

Seqwater remains in a state of metamorphosis and self-induced denial over the causes of the massive Brisbane River flood of 11 January 2011.

Despite the specific finding of the Floods Commission of Inquiry that the Wivenhoe Dam was operated contrary to the official Dam Operating Manual from 8:00am on Saturday 8 January 2011 and despite the key finding that Brisbane River flood levels would have been lower had it been differently managed, Seqwater has never issued an apology or shown even a skerrick of humility or understanding to the people of Ipswich and Brisbane.

Behind the scenes manoeuverings have ensured the Old Boys' Club of Engineers Australia would come out in favour of the dam engineers, patting them on the back for a job well done - gleefully and unprofessionally ignoring the detailed and specific findings of the Floods Commission.

When interstate engineers put their credibility ahead of that of a Supreme Court Judge, there is cause for genuine concern by all decent, fair-minded Queenslanders.

Hopefully, a class action in the Queensland Supreme Court will right the wrongs of January 2011 and belatedly Seqwater and Engineers Australia might then offer a grovelling apology to the thousands of flood victims in southeast Queensland whom they have treated with total disdain for the past 18 months.

27.7.12

High dam levels no concern to Queensland government

Wivenhoe Dam

The state government has no plans to drop the levels of southeast Queensland dams, despite the dams reaching 100 per cent of their storage capacity last week, because a drier summer is predicted.

According to SEQWater, Wivenhoe Dam can store 1.15 million megalitres of drinking water, but can also store an additional 1.45 million megalitres as its flood storage area.

This is equivalent to about 2.5 times the volume of Sydney Harbour.

A recommendation of the Queensland Flood Commission of Inquiry in March was that dam levels be dropped to 75 per cent if a severe wet season was predicted.

However, Water Supply Minister Mark McArdle said it would be wrong to lower the dam levels when the Bureau of Meteorology predicted a drier than average wet season this year.

“Releasing 25 per cent of Wivenhoe Dam's water supply now would be like dumping three years of Brisbane's current water supply when the weather bureau is forecasting drought conditions to return,” he said.

“At the moment, the forecast is not for heavy rain and Wivenhoe Dam's flood compartment remains empty, with space to hold 1.45 million megalitres – up to two times the size of Sydney Harbour.”

Mr McArdle said the Bureau of Meteorology was predicting the El Nino conditions, with its associated increased probability of drier weather, to return later in 2012.

Forecaster David Jones, from the BOM's National Climate Centre in Melbourne, said the current outlook was for lower than average rainfall for most of eastern Australia.

"At the moment we have near El Nino conditions in the Pacific Ocean and it is really moving, if not all of Australia then most, towards probably lower than average rainfall," he said.

"The outlook for the remainder of the year is very different conditions to what has dominated the last two years and more likely than not to be below average, rather than the excessive rainfall totals that we have had over the last two years with the La Ninas."

Dam levels in Greater Brisbane

• Wivenhoe Dam currently sits at 100% capacity, up 4.1% from last week

• North Pine Dam currently sits at 100% capacity, up 0.4% from last week

• Somerset Dam is currently at 100% capacity, no change from last week

• Leslie Harrison currently sits at 99.8% capacity, up 1.1% from last week

• Lake Kurwongbah currently sits at 100% capacity, no change from last week


Dam levels on the Gold Coast

• Hinze Dam currently sits at 95.4% capacity, up 0.8% from last week

• Little Nerang Dam currently sits at 100%, no change from last week


Dam levels on the Sunshine Coast

• Lake Baroon currently sits at 100%, no change from last week

• Ewen Maddock Dam sits at 100%, no change from last week

• Cooloolabin Dam currently sits at 100%,no change from last week

• Lake MacDonald is currently at 100% capacity, no change from last week

• Wappa Dam is currently at 100% capacity, no change from last week


www.BrisbaneTimes.com.au

24.7.12

Suncorp shock: Insurer dumps aggregate reinsurance to bet on large-scale disasters

Large-scale disasters, such as the January floods and Cyclone Yasi in 2011, have prompted Suncorp to rethink its reinsurance.

IF disaster strikes during the year, insurer Suncorp may hope it descends in several large events, rather than a string of smaller calamities.

Suncorp would be better protected by its new reinsurance program in a large-events scenario, analysts say.

Suncorp last week unveiled new reinsurance, which caps payouts in a disaster.

It has dumped aggregate reinsurance. Aggregate reinsurance had capped Suncorp's exposure at $10 million for a series of small disasters, once events accumulated to a certain level.

Instead, Suncorp bought reinsurance for large-scale catastrophes.

Their bill for a first disaster is capped at $250 million, dropping to $200 million for a second, and $50 million for third and fourth events.

JP Morgan analysts said the new reinsurance, including other changes, offered both better and worse scenarios, compared to the old program.

"(It) provides better protection where losses are more concentrated in large events as opposed to several small events, when the aggregate would have kicked in," they said.

Citigroup said the downside "to not purchasing (aggregate cover) is if Suncorp experiences a high frequency of events just below $50 million".

Deutsche Bank said the new reinsurance was more cost-effective than aggregate cover.

A tie-up with Berkshire Hathaway to underwrite 30 per cent of Suncorp's market in Queensland would reduce risk but gnaw 1 per cent of profits, the analysts said.

Citigroup analysts predicted reinsurers lifted prices by 11 per cent.

Suncorp paid $806 million last year for reinsurance; but the overall size of the package will be different this year because of the partnership deal with Berkshire Hathaway.

Suncorp yesterday released a report, saying the perception insurers were reluctant to pay claims hampered efforts to convince businesses to get insurance.

The disasters also underscored industry challenges such as a chronic shortage of insurance assessors, the report said.

"A core team of experts needs to be available at all times. However, the ability to "bolt on" further personnel on a needs basis as a disaster escalates is vital," it said.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/

24.7.12

Commonwealth Bank acts disgracefully over Brisbane flood victims

                CB    =    Commonwealth Bank

                CB    =    Complete Bastards

 

A BRISBANE couple hit hard by last year's record flood now face losing their home to the bank.

Michael and Rachel Quilty have been given seven days to vacate their home at Annerley, in Brisbane's south, or pay almost $600,000 after the Commonwealth Bank took them to court over alleged arrears.

The Quiltys, who did not defend themselves in court following legal advice, say the bank has made an error because their records show they have paid all arrears and have been meeting mortgage repayments.

"We're absolutely devastated," Mrs Quilty told AAP.

"I have gone through the bank statements and we were not a day late in fulfilling the agreement.

"I think the bank has made an error."

They have lodged a complaint with the financial services ombudsman.

A Commonwealth Bank spokeswoman told AAP the Quiltys did not "strictly" meet the terms of their agreed payment plan.

"We do however acknowledge the customers are genuine in their attempts to meet this agreement and we are working with them to provide additional assistance to rectify the situation," she said.

Mrs Quilty says they received a letter from the bank on Friday saying they had seven days to either vacate or pay the bank almost $600,000.

"Any failure to comply with the demands will mean our client will be left with no choice but to take possession of the security property," the letter said.

Ms Quilty says the bank only contacted them after the media made inquiries on Monday.

She says they fell four months behind in repayments last year after her husband's floor covering business lost its biggest client, whose Rocklea warehouse went under in the Brisbane flood.

Six months after the flood, the couple received a default notice from the Commonwealth Bank.

Mrs Quilty says her husband found work and by the end of 2011, they had paid all arrears by the agreed deadline and have since kept up with repayments.

"I'm shocked. I honestly don't know what's going to happen," she said.

"I don't know where we'll go. We don't have family here but we do have friends.

"But it's not just our home we'd lose, it's also our workplace. We run our businesses from home.

"This could bankrupt us."

http://www.couriermail.com.au/

24.7.12

Decision looms on class action for Brisbane and Ipswich flood victims

Seqwater operations manager Robert Drury at Wivenhoe Dam,
possibly contemplating Australia's largest class action against
his organisation.

Maurice Blackburn Lawyers and litigation funder IMF (Australia) are due to make an announcement in coming weeks whether or not to proceed with an historic class action on behalf of flood victims who suffered losses in the Brisbane River flood which devastated parts of Brisbane and Ipswich from 11-14 January 2011.

They are waiting final engineering and hydrology reports from world-class experts to establish the level of mismanagement of Wivenhoe Dam from 8:00 am on Saturday 8 January 2011.

The Floods Commission has found Wivenhoe Dam was not managed in accordance with the official operating manual from that time and if it had been differently managed, downstream flooding would have been reduced.

Residents are being urged by Maurice Blackburn and IMF to sign up for the proposed class action - which will be instituted on a "no win, no fee" basis - as time is running out to elect to be a party to the proposed legal action.

Meanwhile, residents of Brisbane and Ipswich are warned about malcontents stirring up flood victims and creating doubts in the minds of people about the Maurice Blackburn / IMF legal action.

Ipswich councillor Paul Tully - who lost his family home at Goodna in the 2011 flood - has called on doomsday sayers to "butt out" of the debate and work positively with flood victims for a fair and just result in any action against the state government.

"Flood victims need to stick together and fight for their rights rather than being bombarded by unreliable, negative assertions by individuals whose knowledge of class actions and the law of negligence would fit on the back of a postage stamp," Cr Tully said.

23.7.12

Queensland punished by Feds for lack of protection over natural disasters

Gailes Caravan Park January 2011 - Queensland to
miss out on federal funding because of
poorly insured disasters like this.

QUEENSLAND is facing a cut to its GST share as punishment for not having a comprehensive insurance policy to protect vital infrastructure from natural disasters.

Attorney-General Nicola Roxon confirmed yesterday the 2012-13 GST distribution would take into consideration the states' natural disaster insurance premium payments over the past four years, as she released the government's response to a Senate committee report.

www.TheAustralian.com.au

20.7.12

NBN closer for Goodna flood victims

LIGHTNING-FAST INTERNET FOR GOODNA



NBN maps of the service links for Goodna.


GOODNA residents can expect to be connected to the National Broadband Network by March next year.

Work has begun on connecting 8400 homes and businesses to the NBN already, with work to begin on another 8300 homes over the next 12 months.

Residents of Goodna, Collingwood Park, Redbank Plains and Augustine Heights passed through the Goodna Neighbourhood House to hear the latest updates on Saturday.

They heard once the NBN was up and running, downloading speeds would increase to 100MB a second, meaning it would take just minutes to download your favourite movies.

Cr Paul Tully said with connection to lightning-speed internet now on the horizon, interest in the community was starting to gain momentum.

"I've had queries on my Facebook page. People were asking me if they were in or out. There was pretty strong interest in the area now that it is getting closer," he said.

According to the map on the NBN website, a signal is available on Cunningham Rise in Goodna and Brentwood Rise in Augustine Heights.

But an NBN spokesman was unavailable for comment yesterday to confirm the signal was operational.

Cr Tully said Saturday's information session gave residents a feeling the long wait would soon be over.

"There's an air of excitement that at last we are going into the 21st century in what is the most ambitious project taken on by any country," Cr Tully said.

"The people who were there were pretty positive and on board about it.

"The flood victims who were there were pretty happy that they are going to be one of the first in the country to use it."

NBN Co manager Darren Rudd said residents received specific information about broadband in their area.

"We have found there's a real appetite for information about the NBN. People have lots of questions about the technology and how it will be used to improve the way they live and work," Mr Rudd said.

Go to nbnco.com.au for more information.



NBN DETAILS

• Total cost of the NBN project is estimated to be $27.5 billion.
• The NBN rollout will come to an end in 2020.
• Goodna will among the first suburbs to access the high speed network.

QT.com.au

17.7.12

Suncorp's disgusting tactics bring more heartbreak for flood victims

As if flood victims have not been hurt enough after the 2011 flood which devastated Ipswich and Brisbane.

Now, Suncorp has issued a disgraceful media release suggesting property owners may be under-insured.

Of course they are Suncorp - mainly because you have increased premiums, in some cases by over 1000%, which has made insurance totally unaffordable for many property owners.

Bloody disgusting!

23.7.12

Final flood damage to be repaired at Goodna

Brisbane River Goodna, looking upstream towards Redbank,
 showing the damage from the 2011 flood at Richardson Park

The section of Richardson Park Goodna, directly behind the Goodna Rugby League Club, will be upgraded shortly.

Fencing and concrete pathways were destroyed in the Brisbane River flood of 11 January 2011.

Ipswich City Council has called tenders for the final restoration work.

22.7.12

Call for Wivenhoe Dam releases as wet season approaches in 19 weeks

Cr Paul Tully

Southeast Queensland could face another major flood tragedy unless there are significant water releases from Wivenhoe and Somerset dams, according to Ipswich Councillor Paul Tully.

Wivenhoe Dam has reached 99.4 percent capacity in the wake of the 2011 flood with Somerset Dam 100 percent full.

In November 2011, the state government lowered the level of Wivenhoe Dam to 75 percent to reduce the likelihood another devastating Brisbane River flood.

Cr Tully, himself a flood victim, said Seqwater appeared to have learnt nothing from the 2011 flood.

"We have had a wet autumn and winter and there are only 19 weeks to summer but the dam is being held at levels reminiscent of the the weeks leading up to last year's flood.

"Wivenhoe Dam engineers admitted to the Floods Inquiry they paid no regard to weather forecasts in managing the dam and let nature take its course.

Cr Tully said the state government had a duty to the people of Brisbane and Ipswich to reduce the level of Wivenhoe Dam to 75 percent in the lead up to this year's summer.

"It is incomprehensible they have buried their heads in the water and crossed their fingers hoping for a dry summer.

"Wivenhoe Dam should be properly used for flood mitigation with dam levels lowered each summer.

"Residents are fearful of another Brisbane River flood and feel the bureaucrats have abandoned them in their quest to maximise dam levels."

Cr Tully said the state government should look at building another dam in southeast Queensland to enable Wivenhoe Dam to be used principally for flood mitigation.

"Joh Bjelke-Petersen promised Wivenhoe Dam would prevent major Brisbane River floods.

"Seqwater is playing with people's lives and again mismanaging the operation of Wivenhoe Dam," Cr Tully said.

PaulGTully@gmail.com

Goodna flood victims fear Wivenhoe Dam levels too high as Queensland Government keeps level near 100%

Some Ipswich residents want the
floodgates at Wivenhoe Dam to be opened.

Ipswich residents whose homes were destroyed during last year's flood are keeping a close eye on Wivenhoe Dam as it nears 100 per cent supply level.

As of Monday, the dam was 97.6 per cent full. Minister for Energy and Water Supply Mark McArdle received a brief on the dam situation on Friday, and has decided at this stage no flood releases will be required.

Bundamba resident Dianne Dimitrov led the protest against the former State Government which resulted in Wivenhoe being reduced to 75 per cent ahead of last year's predicted wet season.

``Surely after what has gone on, they have learnt a lesson from that, and I really want to have faith and believe they would never let it happen again,'' she said.

``I can understand what a drought is all about for the people who weren't flooded. I can't be a selfish person, thinking `I was flooded so drop the dam'. You have to look at it overall. I think while it's sitting around 100per cent

I'm not prepared to jump up and down yet.''

Ms Dimitrov said there were ``a lot of watchful eyes on Wivenhoe'' with many people regularly driving out to check the dam levels.

In a statement, the Department of Energy and Water Supply said the current long range outlook from the weather bureau did not indicate a need to make pre-releases to draw the dam down for the coming wet season.

An El Nino, associated with an increased likelihood of drier than average conditions is forecast for 2012-13.

www.CourierMail.com.au

COMMENT: Is the Minister being advised by the same flood engineers in charge of Wivenhoe Dam - three of whom are now under investigation by the CMC - whom the Floods Commission found had operated the dam contrary to the official operating manual from 8am on Saturday 8 January 2011 - three days before the flood hit Ipswich and Brisbane?  If so, all residents in flood affected areas of Brisbane and Ipswich have cause for serious alarm.

19.7.12

'Propaganda' on LNP summit hit list for party gabfest

LNP president Bruce McIver believes children are being “brainwashed” in the way climate science is taught in schools.

A push to ban “environmental propaganda” from schools and teach “normal science” about climate change is among motions set to be discussed at the Liberal National Party convention beginning today.

LNP members will consider 101 motions, including proposals to remove union entry rights under workplace health and safety laws, ensure insurance companies cover all types of flood damage, and introduce four-year fixed terms to Queensland Parliament.

A motion by the LNP Women in Callide Valley, meanwhile, calls for companies providing flood insurance to cover any flood damage no matter how it is caused, in the wake of concerns raised during the 2010-11 Queensland floods.

www.BrisbaneTimes.com.au

13.7.12

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says Brisbane River flood wasn't big enough

Tony Abbott destroys
flood victims' hopes

THE Federal Government has attacked Opposition Leader Tony Abbott over his comments on Sunday that the 2011 Queensland floods were not big enough to justify the $1.8 billion flood levy.

A year and half after the Queensland summer of natural disasters, Mr Abbott was asked on ABC television why he did not support the flood levy.

He said while the floods were a big disaster, they weren't so big that the nation needed a new tax to pay for the recovery.

During the public debate about the government levy, Mr Abbott repeatedly offered to help the government find extra savings in that year's budget.

But Labor MP Shayne Neumann went on the attack about the comments on Tuesday.

Mr Blair, who on Tuesday played host to Prime Minister Julia Gillard in his marginal seat of Blair, said Mr Abbott was insensitive to downplay the effects of the flood, and requested an apology.

"I think most Australians were prepared to pay the flood levy and help out their mates in a time of a great need," Mr Neumann said.

"I'm not surprised Tony Abbott's destructive negativity has sunken to yet another low."

Mr Abbott's office did not issue and apology, but emphasised the Coalition position against such taxes.

www.TheSatellite.com.au

12.7.12

Lockyer Valley Mayor Steve Jones blasts government over "bureaucratic beast"

The mayor of Lockyer Valley Steve Jones, has called for a
reduction of bureaucracy within the Queensland Reconstruction Authority.


THE mayor of the area worst hit by the 2011 summer of disaster says he wants a "clean out" of the organisation set up to oversee the state's recovery effort, saying it has become a "savage bureaucratic beast".

Lockyer Valley Mayor Steve Jones said his council was $11 million out of pocket and struggling to deal with the bureaucracy of the Queensland Reconstruction Authority, which had been created by the former government.

"The bureaucracy has now become a quite savage beast chasing its own tail," Cr Jones said. "The previous Labor government used the QRA as some sort of a powerful device that was political.

"The (QRA) needs to get back to simplicity and use the dollars the way they need to be used."

However many other councils are largely satisfied with the pace of implementation of the Flood inquiry's 177 recommendations, 123 of which relate directly to councils.

Mayors including Maranoa's Robert Loughnan, whose shire includes Roma, said the QRA had been extremely helpful in both the recovery effort and planning for future floods.

"We have found them good in following up on things we need and giving advice on mitigation strategies," he said.

But local governments across the state were concerned the most important issue the Flood Inquiry examined - more integrated planning - was still being addressed.

Cr Loughnan said there were serious gaps in flood preparation that still needed to be addressed.

"We have areas such as between Mitchell and St George which are completely without mobile phone coverage," he said.

"When the floods come the first thing that goes are the landlines, so it's a real concern."

Cr Jones said his council was frustrated with the bureaucratic requirements of the QRA.

"You go round and round the merry-go-round. There's trips to Brisbane, reports," he said.

"Sometimes these things become so complicated, with so much work involved, it's simply not worth claiming because it is costing you more to claim than what you'll get out of it."

The QRA is answerable to the Australian Government Reconstruction Inspectorate, which audits all its expenditure.

Premier Campbell Newman said the QRA would eventually be wound up ash the legislation establishing it would expire on February 22, 2013.

But he said it had an important job to do.

"I am sure every Queenslander would expect that the QRA rigorously assessed all submissions for reconstruction funding to ensure the money was going to where it was most needed," Mr Newman said.

www.CourierMail.com.au

12.7.12

CUA customers will be happy with 2011 flood response

Nobody wants to deal with problems that occurred before their tenure at a new job. But that was exactly what Credit Union Australia (CUA) CIO David Gee was faced with, after taking on the role nine months ago.

In January 2011, Brisbane suffered one of the worst floods in the city's history. Water levels peaked at 4.5 metres, turning dry land into a muddy quagmire. As the waters seeped into the CBD, residents and businesses were evacuated. Credit Union Australia (CUA) was among businesses with headquarters in the area.

In the aftermath of the natural disaster, CUA's hands were full, dealing with damage to its offices and branches. On top of that, it had to cope with repairing its IT systems.

The bank's on-premise was affected by the floods, and it was forced to shut down its Internet banking services for 16 hours.

Despite CUA issuing an apology to customers, assuring them their personal data remained secure, it was called out by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) over the nationwide online banking outage.

While Gee assumed his role after the Brisbane flood debacle, he was thrust into the spotlight in his second week on the job when APRA paid a visit to CUA's headquarters.

"APRA hadn't been here for a long time, but it was very concerned about where CUA was at, from a business resilience standpoint," Gee told ZDNet Australia.

The banking and credit union regulator wanted to ensure that CUA was taking the correct measures to avoid a repeat of the January 2011 outage.

"The incident was obviously taken very seriously, because nobody wants banks to be out and people become concerned about security and so forth," Gee said.

APRA raised a long list of concerns and the CUA took steps to address them, one by one.

"We actually just finished all that work now," Gee said.

CUA effectively rebuilt its IT infrastructure from the ground up, albeit in a different location — away from the flood plains. It also put in place new IBM mainframes and laid out a new networking infrastructure. In addition to that, a new firewall and storage network was put in place.

"So we moved the datacentre to a new location that has better resilience, air-conditioning and everything else," Gee said. "We put in new gear and upgraded everything to make those changes happen."

The upgrades also helped support the bank's IT transformation, announced in March 2011, which involved replacing its core banking system with an off-the-shelf product called BaNCS. The project, for which CUA teamed up with Tata Consultancy Services, will be completed next year.

During CUA's IT upgrade, inevitably, there will be outages, but the bank will be very cautious in maintaining uptime for customers, Gee said.

"Our IT department has grown, which is counter to other financial institutions," he said. "We are actually trying to build new capabilities and capacities, as well."
NFC is where it's at

CUA has also recently released its first mobile banking app for Apple and Google phones. While it is a late-comer in mobile banking, and the app only features simple functionalities (only balance checking and money transfer capabilities), Gee said that his priority was to make it clean and easy to use for customers.

The new app is compatible with CUA's old IT system. Since its soft launch on Thursday, it has racked up several thousand downloads. Gee said that he would look at options for adding features to the app, once the transformation had been completed, but added that no decisions had been made on which features the bank would implement.

Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) recently launched its Kaching app for Google Android phones, featuring peer-to-peer money transfers through email or Facebook. It also announced that it will be releasing a dedicated Facebook application, which will facilitate payment transactions on the social media website.

While CUA hasn't ruled out following in CBA's footsteps, Gee was more interested in exploring banking options offered by near-field communication (NFC).

CBA's Kaching currently does not support NFC, unless users have an iPhone equipped with an iCase.

"I'm a big believer in the phone being a wallet, and that will happen with NFC," Gee said. "Some of those other technologies in between are kind of transitionary towards what people are going to get."

Gee is looking forward to banking via NFC, and is keen to move CUA in that direction.

"[NFC] is where we need to be playing in," he said. "All the other things in between have the cool factor, but I'm not sure if they are significant, in terms of servicing customers."

www.ZDnet.com

12.7.12

Prime Minister Julia Gillard donates sandbagging machine to flood-prone Ipswich

PRIME Minister Julia Gillard has given flood-prone Ipswich a sandbagging machine in her bid for Queensland votes ahead of the next federal poll.

Surrounded by State Emergency Service workers on Tuesday afternoon in an Ipswich depot, Ms Gillard said the machine was desperately needed by staff who filled thousands of bags by hand over the Summer of Disaster.

Her last visit to the depot was to mark the first anniversary of the Summer of Disaster and it was there she was told workers wanted a sand bagger.

"You wanted it, I wanted to get it for you and we are able to honour that commitment," she said.

Ms Gillard said $46,000 would be made available for the machine that will be ready for service well before the next wet season.

Ms Gillard says she is enjoying her visit to Queensland which began Saturday and will stretch across the entire week, with a visit to the north expected tomorrow.

The PM waved away questions she was shoring up support in Queensland which turned savagely on the ALP in the last state poll.

"I am enjoying my time here and am very happy to be out and about in the community talking to people," she said.

www.CourierMail.com

11.7.12

Flood fraudster hit with suspended jail sentence

MORE Ipswich flood cheats are being caught out, with one man being sent to prison this week and another woman pleading guilty to ripping off more than $5000 from the community.

Tuputala Ropati, 34, made six separate fake claims for the flood relief money, notching up $5100 she wasn't entitled to.

Ipswich Magistrates Court heard Ropati would claim up to $850 at a time, and made the dodgy claims on January 17, 18, 19, 20, 22 and 28 last year.

Magistrate Donna MacCallum said she couldn't accept Ropati "didn't know" the payments were a one-off.

"That explanation doesn't ring true and has an air of dishonesty about it," Ms MacCallum said.

Ropati has a strong Christian faith and support from her church in Goodna, but Ms MacCallum said her actions were a "clear breach of your belief in the teachings of God".

"What you did, when people were in dire need during a natural disaster, was a clear breach of your Christian faith," she told Ropati.

"It is stealing from the community."

Ms MacCallum said if Ropati's offences weren't discovered by police, she most likely never would have paid the money back.

Ropati, who has no criminal history, pleaded guilty to six counts of fraud and was sentenced to six months prison which was suspended for 12 months.

She was also fined $300 for driving an unregistered and uninsured car, and was ordered to pay $5100 restitution to the Queensland Government.

In another case, Tony Arthur Keasey, 51, claimed more than $1500 he wasn't entitled to and will spend a month behind bars for the fraud.

On February 1 and February 3 he claimed payments at Goodna and the Ipswich Showgrounds of $1530 by lying about having a partner and children to support.

The court heard Keasey had 68 prior convictions for fraud on his three-page criminal history.

He pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud and was sentenced to four months prison, to be suspended after one month for an operational period of three years, and was also ordered to pay restitution to the Queensland Government.

www.QT.com.au

12.7.12

Engineers Australia releases comments on the Queensland Flood Commission of Inquiry Final Report

Engineers Australia report supports technical decisions during Wivenhoe Dam crisis

Engineers Australia has completed a comprehensive analysis of the implications of the Queensland Flood Commission of Inquiry’s Final Report and its recommendations for engineering professionals, in a report released today.

The report, collated by senior engineers and flood-experts from Engineers Australia’s Queensland Division Flood Committee, highlights the intense and highly complex challenges faced by the dam engineers responding to the flood crisis in 2011. The report also focuses on four key areas concerning flooding and floodplain management including; planning, resilience, response and implementation.

“Currently floodplain management is the responsibility of local authorities, with some input from state and federal advisors. This approach is inconsistent across the state, resulting in varying flood management,” said Steven Goh, Engineers Australia Queensland Division President.

“This is in contrast to other states where the state government has a significant role in the floodplain management process, particularly supporting local government and communities. Having a more consistent approach throughout the state and Australia-wide would be a valuable contribution to mitigating the damage and providing a better level of community safety throughout all parts of Queensland.

“Engineers have a critical role to play in protecting the community, particularly in times of crisis. Engineers Australia believes that the most important lessons to be learnt from the 2011 floods are those that go towards ensuring that improvements in floodplain management, flood preparedness and emergency services are implemented throughout the state for the future.

"Engineers Australia has not questioned the technical competence of the engineers involved in the floods. Given the circumstances, the dam operators performed appropriately. Flood operation is a multifaceted task that requires specialised operators who must use their expert technical judgment, with guidance from flood operation manuals or other appropriate documentation.

“Community awareness programs to understand appropriate responses to flooding should be implemented well in advance of flood-crisis situations. Severe flooding has occurred in the past and can happen again. Ongoing community engagement and education is crucial during non-flood periods for the protection and safety of society,” said Mr Goh.

Engineers Australia is committed to protecting the standards in the profession and working with local authorities, state and federal governments to assist in the preparedness of the community to deal with natural disasters and crisis situations.

www.EngineersAustralia.org.au

COMMENT: As expected, Engineers Australia has backed up its mates who failed to operate the Wivenhoe Dam during the January 2011 flood crisis in accordance with the approved manual.  This was one of the key findings of the Floods Commission but it seems to have been conveniently overlooked by Engineers Australia. If the engineers couldn't get the operation of the dam right before the flood reached its peak, why does Engineers Australia think another layer of engineers responsible for flood plain management would do any better than local governments across Queensland.

8.7.12

Engineers Australia may soon be eating humble pie!



Channel 7 News - 8 July 2012



Engineers Australia has issued its response to the Floods Commission Report handed  down in February.

And surprise, surprise, it backs the Wivenhoe Dam engineers who mismanaged the dam from 8am on Saturday 8 January 2011 - according to the Commission's final report.

Three of those engineers are currently under investigation by the CMC.

Potential class action claimants should not be too despondent over the Engineers Australia Report because Maurice Blackburn Lawyers, in conjunction with IMF (Australia) are commissioning their own engineering and hydrological studies on what actually caused the flood which devastated Ipswich and Brisbane.

With any luck, Engineers Australia will shortly be eating massive helpings of Humble Pie.

8.7.12

Brisbane and Ipswich's largest known floods - February 1893

Queen Street, one of the major roads in Brisbane, after the 1893 floods. Residents are seen rowing boats to move about due to the flooding.

South Brisbane during the 1893 flood.

Map from the Irrigation and Water Supply Commission.

Indooroopilly Railway Bridge

The 1893 Brisbane flood, occasionally referred to as the Great Flood of 1893 or the Black February flood, occurred when the Brisbane River burst its banks on three occasions in February 1893.

It is the occurrence of three major floods in the same month that saw the period named "Black February". There was also a fourth flood event later in the same year in June. The river runs through the centre of Brisbane in the Australian state of Queensland,with much of the population living in areas beside the river. It was flooded in the first flood due to a deluge associated with a tropical cyclone, called "Buninyong".

The second cyclone struck on 11 February, causing relatively minor flooding compared to the first flood.

When the third cyclone came on 19 February, it was almost as devastating as the first, and it left up to one third of Brisbane's residents homeless. This time however the flood in the Brisbane River was largely from waters from the upper reaches of Brisbane River, rather than the Stanley River.

For the first flood, Crohamhurst recorded 914.4 mm of rain fell in a 24 hour period.  The water surge was recorded on the Port Office gauge (now the City gauge) as being 8.35 metres (27 feet, 5 inches) above the low tide level. The February 1893 floods were the second and third highest water levels ever recorded at the City gauge, the highest being the January 1841 flood at 8.43 metres (27 feet, 8 inches).  There was however some oral aboriginal history suggesting a flood level of nearly 12 m prior to the first European settlement.

The 1893 events were preceded by two notable yet less severe floods in 1887 and 1890. Both were caused by high levels of summer rainfall; however the rainfall around this period (with the exception of the two summers) was described as "very low".

^{Full Report on the 1893 flood:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1893_Brisbane_flood}

Getting good advice from a lawyer on a class action

Would you get advice on an accounting problem from a wine maker?

Would you get advice on a wine making problem from an accountant?

Maybe you would if you didn't care about the quality of the advice.

But when it comes to protecting your rights and entitlements after the 2011 flood, your best advice is from a qualified lawyer who knows and understands all of the legal complexities associated with a class action.

Protect your and your family's rights - listen to a lawyer's advice.

Flooding eases off the agenda as rising ocean temperatures have tide turning in favour of scorching sibling El Nino

OUR dams are full, the lambs are fat and the sprinklers are running again.

But weather experts are warning Australia's east coast to brace for a return to dry conditions, perhaps even drought, as another El Nino event looms.

After two consecutive years of record rainfall and devastating floods brought on by La Nina, the Bureau of Meteorology warned yesterday that climate indicators show a shift towards drier weather patterns, and a potential swing to the opposite phenomenon, El Nino.

Warmer waters in the Pacific Ocean can trigger an El Nino, which brings less rainfall and drought such as the one that drained Warragamba dam to one-third of its capacity five years ago. Cooler waters bring on La Nina and associated wetter conditions, including those that spurred this year's floods across NSW, and the devastating Brisbane floods the previous summer.

A bureau climatologist, Acacia Pepler, said conditions along the equator were yet to reach El Nino thresholds, but most climate models were predicting the event would develop in late winter and early spring.

''The chances of us reaching El Nino are growing,'' Ms Pepler said. ''It's not certain yet, but probability is increasing as the weeks pass.''

But the Weather Channel, which measures the event using different indices, called the result early, declaring yesterday that El Nino had returned.

''Sea surface temperatures through the central tropical Pacific Ocean have gradually warmed during the past few months and are now more than 0.5 degrees above average, passing the threshold for El Nino conditions,'' said senior meteorologist, Tom Saunders, adding that the rise must persist for five months before the event is ''fully fledged''.

Following Australia's wettest two years on record, which fuelled massive vegetation growth, a spell of dry, hot weather could lead to drought and ''a devastating bushfire season'', he said.

El Ninos typically occur every two to seven years. The most recent occurred in 2009, bringing with it extremely dry weather in winter and spring.

www.stawelltimes.com.au

4.7.12

RACQ house insurance switches to compulsory flood cover, limiting choice for homeowners

These signs on Brisbane Terrace Goodna show
what people still think of RACQ Insurance.

RACQ Insurance is switching to compulsory flood cover tomorrow, meaning Queensland's two biggest home protection brands do not offer the option of opting-out of the insurance.

The decision creates a widening number of people who will have to switch brands if they do not want flood cover, which can be extremely expensive for at-risk properties.

A House of Representatives committee has cited anecdotes of home insurance rising 41 per cent in one flood-affected Queensland regional area while the National Insurance Brokers Association knew of one property whose premiums rose from $500 to $3500.

But insurers argue compulsory cover provides certainty.

Such moves follow a PR nightmare in last year's floods when some people complained of confusion about insurance covering downpours but not floods.

Suncorp, the state's biggest insurer, has compulsory cover for its Suncorp and APIA brands.

Suncorp's AAMI brand, which has covered flood since February, allows customers to opt-out if their property is deemed "medium to high risk".

More than 90 per cent of AAMI customers "are at no or low risk of flooding, and the inclusion of flood cover will have little or no effect on their premium", it said.

Allianz uses an opt-out flood insurance option to "provide choice".

IAG-owned NRMA, which switched to compulsory cover in January, recorded positive feed-back from customers in flood-prone areas "who now have certainty".

www.CourierMail.com.au

30.6.12

Brisbane's rainfall in first six months of 2012 biggest since 1999

Unseasonal rain for Brisbane and Ipswich
but thankfully no serious flooding as in 2011.

AND you thought last year was wet. Brisbane has recorded its wettest start to the year in more than a decade.

Brisbane airport received 1039.2mm for the first six months of the year. The previous highest was 1067mm, set in 1999.

"The airport record is 1747mm in 1974 (while) the Brisbane city record is 1870.7mm in 1893," Bureau of Meteorology climate services manager Jeff Sabburg said.

Despite southeast Queensland flooding in January last year, most of the rain fell in dam catchments, with the city recording an extremely dry May and June. In the first six months of last year, Brisbane airport recorded 761mm.

Dr Sabburg said Redcliffe had recorded 1118.8mm this year. Its previous record was 1066.2mm, set in 1999.

The wet conditions extended as far north as Hervey Bay, where 1067.8mm fell at the airport, beating the 2004 record of 938.5mm.

Weatherzone forecaster Josh Fisher said January was usually one of Brisbane's wetter months.

"This year we had more than double the average monthly rainfall," he said. "Now the (rain bearing) La Nina is trending into a (drought-bearing) El Nino in spring and summer, so we are expecting slightly drier conditions."

Mr Fisher said constant high-pressure systems had brought moisture on to the east coast. About 60 per cent of Queensland recorded above-average rainfall in June.

Successive wet years have boosted the agricultural sector, with the statistics bureau reporting the national value of agriculture had increased by 16 per cent in 2010-11, to $46 billion.

But Queensland's sugarcane, bananas, pineapple and pawpaw growers did not share in the windfall, after being hit hard by flooding and Cyclone Yasi.

Wheat production was up by more than 25 per cent, to 27 million tonnes. Rice and cotton also rose, as did barley, canola, sorghum, mandarins and strawberries.

Beef cattle numbers increased significantly, while sheep and lamb numbers were recovering from long-term decline due to drought and high prices. Crop sale values increased by almost one-fifth, to $25 billion.

Livestock with slaughtering and other sales increased 8 per cent to $13.8 billion.

Forecasters say crop yields may vary because of the risk of an El Nino.

www.CourierMail.com.au

Why have one FABAH when you can have two?

FABAH (Flood Affected Businesses and Households) was established on Brisbane's southside after the devastating Brisbane River flood of January 2011.

But the organisation appears to have split - much to the consternation of business owners and householders.

There are now two websites - www.fabah.com and www.fabah.net - both proclaiming the virtues of FABAH.

Ipswich and Greater Goodna residents are concerned about the possible mixed messages from this double-headed duet.

One FABAH member has been seen hanging around meetings held in Brisbane by Maurice Blackburn Lawyers cautioning  members of the public about the alleged pitfalls of  joining the Maurice Blackburn/IMF (Australia) class action.

Whose side is FABAH really on? 

FABAH should be working with all flood victims and other like-minded groups to achieve the best possible outcomes for all businesses and householders.

Raw criticism of Maurice Blackburn/IMF is quite unfounded and simply serves to instill fears in the average member of the community and to undermine what is currently the only flood class action on the horizon.

Those fears being engendered by persons who should know better could easily result in thousands of flood victims being too scared to join a class action and missing out on their just legal entitlements.

The www.fabah.net site gives some clues to the history of this sad situation reminding us all of  the old political adage - Disunity is Death:

FEBRUARY
Rod Williams and Ken Madsen agreed that FABAH would pay for some of the legal expenses of the Mid Brisbane River Irrigators, who had standing before the Inquiry. However MBRI refused to allow David Stark to brief its barrister, resulting in questions not being asked that could have destroyed the credibility of SEQWater and its supporting ‘experts’. This might have led to truly independent experts revealing the truth, but that opportunity was lost.

MARCH

Prior to 12 March, David Stark had publically drawn attention to Maurice Blackburn/IMF deceptively inducing flood-affected people to join their Class Action.

On 12 March, IMF complained about this publicity. Rod, Ken and David conferred and concluded that as FABAH was not incorporated there could be no legal action taken against FABAH, and that only David would be liable for any legal action as he was the author of the criticism. David, suggested that FABAH should register its business name to ensure Maurice Blackburn/IMF could not stop criticism or comparison of possible Class Actions, if they registered the FABAH name.

As Rod and Ken did not think that was necessary, David then registered in his name FABAH Flood Affected Businesses and Households, to ensure there would be no curtailment his work or commentary to assist those flood affected.

14 March, on Greg Cary’s radio program on 4BC, David obtained a commitment from Campbell Newman to fairly compensate those flooded once negligence was proved, and that folk would not be forced to take legal action to obtain compensation.

The public no longer understands who FABAH really is or who officially speaks for FABAH.

Until FABAH gets its act together and shows a willingness to work with the community, its presence at future meetings in Ipswich and Greater Goodna would be untenable.

The way FABAH has now apparently developed a schizophrenic personality should be cause for alarm by any fair-minded flood victims searching for the truth and the best possible course of action for them to take.

An amusing side to all of this intrigue is revealed by a simple Google search of  "Fabah":

Fabah - Bint Al Bahr Babson Arabians

www.babsonarabians.com/Babson_Family/Fabah.htm Cached - Similar

You +1'd this publicly. Undo

Fabah sired 67 foals form 1957 through 1975. His grandget number more than 740. His influence in the Babson group has been extensive. He was well ...

Fabah might have sired 67 foals in the United States but in downtown Brisbane, Fabah is proving to be nothing but a poor-performing gelding!

7.7.12

Flood-hit facility opens again - RSL club is finally back home

EMOTIONAL DAY: Goodna RSL Services Club
has reopened following major renovations after
last year’s floods. Inspecting it are (from left)
Cr Paul Tully, general manager Debra Colbert
and president David Christie

IT WAS 541 days ago when the floodwaters that swept through Ipswich overwhelmed the Goodna RSL Services Club, leaving it submerged in the Brisbane River’s muddy surge.

Yesterday proved to be the brightest day in the club’s recent history, as the doors opened to the newly renovated club for the first time.

The final cosmetic touches were still being applied as members rolled in to see the new and improved club after its official opening on Wednesday night.

President David Christie was pleased the members were finally able to use their club again, after it temporarily called a Brisbane Tce premises home during the renovations.

"It’s been very stressful. It’s been the hardest 18 months of my life dealing with that, but on a positive note it’s great to see all the members come back," he said.

"All of our members were affected by the flood, Paul (Tully) was one of them. It’s been hard for those members to come back up and visit the club since.

"It’s really encouraging to be able to offer the community such a venue as it is." General manager Debra Colbert welcomed back many familiar faces among the club’s 54,000 members.

Nearly all the club’s members retained their membership as the premises were being renovated.

"Come back and they will be surprised what they find," she said.

Cr Tully remembered the night he rode in a dingy over the club as the just before the floodwaters reached their peak.

"It was really surreal. The lights were still on," he said.

"A lot of people didn’t see it (the club) until after the flood." Cr Tully praised the club’s determination to ensure the doors opened again.

"The Goodna Services Club ploughed hundreds of thousands of dollars into local groups and causes," he said.

"The loss of this support has had a major effect on our local community."

http://www.qt.com.au/

6.7.12