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| 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
