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| Cr Paul Tully |
Flood victims across southeast Queensland will face a key decision in the next few weeks whether or not to join the proposed class action against the State Government over the devastating Brisbane River floods of January 2011.
Maurice Blackburn Lawyers and IMF (Australia) Litigation Funders are awaiting final engineering and hydrology reports from world experts in relation to the flood and whether or not the actions (or inactions) of the dam engineers actually caused the flood downstream of Wivenhoe Dam or contributed to its level in individual suburbs.
It promises to be the largest class action ever commenced in Australia.
Ipswich Councillor Paul Tully, himself a flood victim, is encouraging flood affected residents planning to sign up for the class action.
Cr Tully said one television journalist had declared a few months ago: "You'd be a fool not to sign up."
"The journalist summed it up completely in eight words," Cr Tully said.
Cr Tully said Maurice Blackburn Lawyers, in conjunction with IMF (Australia) were well-advanced in their plans for a class action with more than 3500 people already signed up.
He said the fees being charged for a successful class action were reasonable given the magnitude and complexities of the claim and the significant financial and legal risks being taken by Maurice Blackburn Lawyers and IMF (Australia).
"I urge claimants to sign up with their eyes open and read the documentation in its entirety and satisfy themselves of their rights and obligations."
Cr Tully said procrastinators and other seeking to get a better deal elsewhere could end up getting nothing.
"65% of anything is better than 100% of nothing," Cr Tully said.
"Some people could be left lamenting if they don't join the boat in the near future."
Cr Tully warned Brisbane and Ipswich residents about "self-appointed doom and gloom experts whose main ability was to lead people up the garden path in the quickest possible way".
"Residents should carefully scrutinise any information from one-man bands, malcontents, self-appointed flood, engineering, legal, financial and insurance experts and other pretentious upstarts who make doomsday sayers look positively upbeat!
Cr Tully said procrastinators and other seeking to get a better deal elsewhere could end up getting nothing.
"65% of anything is better than 100% of nothing," Cr Tully said.
"Some people could be left lamenting if they don't join the boat in the near future."
Cr Tully warned Brisbane and Ipswich residents about "self-appointed doom and gloom experts whose main ability was to lead people up the garden path in the quickest possible way".
"Residents should carefully scrutinise any information from one-man bands, malcontents, self-appointed flood, engineering, legal, financial and insurance experts and other pretentious upstarts who make doomsday sayers look positively upbeat!
"This will be the biggest legal decision many people will make in their entire lives and I urge people to think and act now and not miss out on any compensation to which they are legally entitled.
"Maurice Blackburn Lawyers are respected across Australia and are leading the way in this proposed, ground-breaking class action," Cr Tully said.
