Flood wake mystery: Sunken rowing boat found at Goodna

 

LOST AND FOUND: Simon Newcomb from
Centenary Rowing Club are looking for
anyone who may have any information
 about a boat found in the
 Brisbane River.

A SUNKEN rowing boat found near the Goodna boat ramp has local rowers stumped as to how it got there and who it belongs to.

When the 15-metre 1980s Quad Four was spotted by an Ipswich resident last month, the Queensland Water Police made a hasty phone call to the Centenary Rowing Club to confirm they were not missing any rowers in the Brisbane River.

Club president Simon Newcomb quickly rang around to find all members were accounted for, but noticed the boat had no riggers and oars, indicating it was old.

"When the Water Police rang me they said what we would like you to do Mr Newcomb is come up here and look for survivors," he said.

"I recognised the boat immediately from a corporate regatta I was involved in in 2004.

"It was an old Toowong Rowing Club boat, built by a boat builder who went bankrupt in about 1988."

Mr Newcomb contacted Toowong rowing veteran Don Bosher, who confirmed the club had disposed of the yellow and blue boat many years ago.

He said it could have washed up following the flood.

"Unfortunately the dear old beast has had its day, it's had one hell of a wack on one side," Mr Newcomb said. 

www.TheSatellite.com.au

21.8.12

 If you have any information about the mystery rowing boat, email PaulGTully@gmail.com
 

Brisbane River flood victims deserve answers

BLAME GAME: There is a torrent of tears
and a flood of questions over the dams' role
in the devastating 2011 floods.


PREMIER Campbell Newman clearly has a duty of care as leader of the new State Government to explain further the serious questions that still need to be addressed over the devastating floods in Brisbane in 2011.

But with reports that Mr Newman has ruled out any further royal commissions into the event, one has to wonder if political blame-gaming starts and ends with Newman inheriting the problem from the previous Labor government.

And the three flood engineers who were under scrutiny from the Crime and Misconduct Commission are no doubt sighing with relief, with the CMC stating that a flaw in the dams' operations manual may have been a cause. The same cannot be said for many Brisbane flood victims. No doubt some, still waiting on insurance claims to be finalised, are looking for answers to the devastating event that caught so many by surprise.

Newman prior to the last state election used the event to cast doubt over former premier Anna Bligh's credibility and standing as leader during the floods and was clearly playing politics with the issue.

Now that the boot is on the other foot, new Premier Campbell Newman clearly has a duty to all flood victims to address once and for all the muddied and murky waters of an event that devastated so many and still has so many unanswered questions that need to be answered.

Paul Henderson, Wynnum

 

www.CourierMail.com.au

 

24.8.12

 

Ipswich's post-flood mortgage misery



Goodna under flood 12 January 2011



MORE Ipswich home owners are behind on their repayments than in any other region in Australia, according to a new report from international ratings agency Fitch Ratings.

The annual report, which looks at how many mortgage holders are more than 30 days in arrears, ranked Ipswich City first on a list of the worst-performing regions by number of home loan delinquencies.

More than one in 50 mortgages in the Ipswich region are over a month in arrears, with a 25% increase being recorded in the six-month period from September 2011 to March 2012.

Overall, 2.14% of all mortgages in Ipswich City are now more than 30 days in arrears, up from just 1.28% in March 2010.

Report co-author James Zanesi said the result was surprising and no specific reasons could be identified for the spike.

"In the last six months, or even the last year, the Ipswich region has deteriorated while a lot of other regions have improved," Mr Zanesi said.

"We contacted a lot of lenders who operate in this area and they cite a lot of cases of hardship and unemployment as contributing factors.

"These factors affected all of Queensland, but Ipswich and Logan City were affected more because of the stronger concentration of borrowers with a lower average income."

Queenslanders Credit Union chief executive John Weier said he was surprised at the result.

Mr Weier said about one third of his company's customers were in the Ipswich region and internal data didn't support the Fitch findings.

"There is no outstanding problems. It's business as usual as far as we are aware," Mr Weier said. "There are a few more arrears because of some of the redundancies that have been going on recently, but not in the Ipswich area.

"We monitor all delinquencies from 30 days, but we don't have any real issue there at all."

Queensland as a whole was the worst-performing state in Australia, with the 30-plus delinquency rate at 1.86% as of March this year.

The results don't mean mortgage holders are defaulting on loans, but do point to economic hardship by region.

Ipswich Chamber of Commerce president Brett Kitching also had not anticipated the spike in numbers.

"It sounds surprising to me considering the city is growing and continuing to develop," Mr Kitching said.

"We understand that economic times are sluggish, but we believe we are near the bottom of the cycle. We have population growth and significant development, which augur well for the future, but this is a worry at the moment."

A possible cause of the jump in mortgage arrears may be fallout from the January 2011 floods.

While the report couldn't draw a causal relationship, director of financial services at Ipswich-based Harding Martin Accounting Services Rob Rush said it wouldn't be surprising if the flood pain was a contributing factor.

"My view is this flood worked in three stages," Mr Rush said.

"You had three days to survive, three months of agony and three years of recovery.

"So we're really only halfway through that recovery phase."



PAYMENT PAIN

10 worst-performing regions in Australia by percentage of mortgage holders more than 30 days in arrears:

10 Outer West Sydney - 1.60%
9   Blacktown - 1.60%
8   Gold Coast East - 1.69%
7   Fairfield-Liverpool - 1.73%
6   Caboolture Shire - 1.76%
5   Logan (& Beaudesert) - 1.84%
4   Central Coast Sydney - 1.85%
3   Gold Coast West - 1.89%
2   Outer SW Sydney - 1.89%
1   Ipswich City - 2.14%

www.QT.com.au

23.8.12

Murky flood waters of 2011



Smiths Rd Goodna looking east
as the floodwaters of 2011 recede



WE'RE still no closer to knowing whether the southeast's dams were properly managed during the 2011 flood and whether any of the flooding of thousands of properties in Brisbane and Ipswich was avoidable.

After a narrow, five-month re-examination of some of the evidence by the CMC, all we know that's new is that there was a central flaw in the operations manual for the dams.

The CMC has done what it was asked, but as its chairman points out, that didn't include the "critical issue" of the circumstances surrounding the massive emergency releases of water on January 11, 2011, that caused properties to flood.

All the releases up to that point were too small to cause any significant damage.

It was a big flood, but only a fraction of the size of those the dams were built to withstand.

We don't even know what effect this flaw in the manual might have had on the dams' operation. All we know is it was a big enough problem to possibly explain why the dam engineers got themselves into knots when writing up their account of events.

Who signed off on this flaw?

Engineer John Tibaldi wrote the manual, according to the retired judge hired by the CMC to take a fresh look at the evidence. But people higher up the chain in Seqwater and Government departments approved the document.

Some of these bureaucrats provided statements to the floods inquiry, very few were questioned. Many of them are still in high-paying Government jobs.

The floods inquiry previously identified a couple of "technical" breaches of the document.

Not enough heed was paid to weather forecasts and one of the engineer's qualifications were out of date, it found. Oh well, never mind.

Premier Campbell Newman was keen to point out ahead of the March election how "murky" things were becoming for Anna Bligh each time the media peeled a layer away from her flood defences.

He pledged not to force people to have to engage expensive lawyers to get treated fairly. But that was easy when he didn't hold the purse strings and wasn't facing a possible liability of hundreds of millions of dollars - or more - over the floods.

His tune has changed now, after class action lawyers muscled up and Government lawyers and Seqwater's heavyweight insurers weighed in.

There are plenty of reasons why no-one has yet properly explained why these poor engineers, the good soldiers of Turbot St, found themselves in that terrible position in January 2011.

www.CourierMail.com.au

22.8.12

CMC finalises examination of Wivenhoe Dam engineers’ conduct

The Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC) has finalised an extensive review of material provided by the Queensland Floods Commission of Inquiry following a recommendation that it investigate the conduct of three of the engineers operating Wivenhoe Dam.

On 16 March 2012, the then Premier formally referred the matter to the CMC.

As detailed in its final report, released the same day, the Queensland Floods Commission of Inquiry was not charged with the responsibility of making findings as to whether the evidence before it established any criminal offence or official misconduct on the part of the engineers – John Tibaldi, Robert Ayre and Terry Malone.

The express terms of the Queensland Floods Commission of Inquiry’s recommendation to the CMC [16.1] are set out in its final report:

 http://www.floodcommission.qld.gov.au/publications/final-report ), as detailed below:

16.1 The Crime and Misconduct Commission should investigate whether the conduct of Mr Tibaldi, Mr Ayre and Mr Malone relating to:

- preparation of documents surrounding the January 2011 flood event, including the 17 January 2011 brief to the Minister, the 2 March 2011 flood event report, and statements provided to the Commission; [and]

- oral testimony given to the Commission

evidences offence/s against the Criminal Code, and/or official misconduct under the Crime and Misconduct Act 2001 committed by any, or all, of them.

Upon receipt of the 16 March referral, the CMC initially undertook a preliminary assessment of the voluminous material involved before concluding the most efficient way forward was to engage retired Justice of Queensland Court of Appeal, John Jerrard QC, to complete a full examination of the material.

As detailed in advice released today

http://www.cmc.qld.gov.au/topics/misconduct/investigating-misconduct/investigations-and-hearings/2012-examination-of-wivenhoe-dam-engineers-conduct/advice-from-john-jerrard-qc

(PDF, 320 KB), Mr Jerrard noted that the Queensland Floods Commission of Inquiry, in its final report, did not criticise the engineers for their adoption of ‘Strategy W4’ in Seqwater’s Manual of Operational Procedures for Flood Mitigation at Wivenhoe Dam and Somerset Dam (Revision 7), with the inevitable flooding of parts of metropolitan Brisbane that followed.

In light of the terms of the Queensland Floods Commission of Inquiry’s recommendation to the CMC and because of the absence of criticism, as noted above, the CMC has not considered whether the actions of the engineers in managing the dam gates during the flood could amount to either a criminal offence or official misconduct.

The focus has necessarily been on how the engineers articulated what they had done after the event in reports and oral evidence to see, for example, if charges such as perjury were appropriate.

According to Mr Jerrard’s advice, an inherent contradiction existed between the manual’s flood strategy flowchart (W1 to W4) and a definition of Strategy W2, as later referred to in the manual. For full details, read Mr Jerrard’s advice, with particular reference to the sub-heading ‘The Problem with the Manual’ (starting paragraph 81) and conclusions (starting paragraph 102). The manual can also be viewed as “Exhibit 21” to the Queensland Floods Commission of Inquiry’s final report.

Mr Jerrard concluded: ‘If the engineers had been following the flowchart they could have honestly believed they were in Strategy W2 until the contradictory terms of the definition were adverted to.

‘This contradiction in the manual would provide an explanation for all of the engineers’ inconsistent statements and descriptions of what they had done at the time of the January 2011 Flood Event, and is not evidence of either the commission of a criminal offence or official misconduct.’

Finally, Mr Jerrard noted that implementation of the Queensland Flood Commission of Inquiry’s recommendations for Seqwater to review/create a new manual, with the assistance of experts such as technical writers and legal review, to ensure compliance during any future flood, should remove any inconsistency or ambiguity.

The CMC is satisfied that upon examination of the material, there is no evidence to suggest the conduct of the engineers evidences offences against the Criminal Code or official misconduct and accepts Mr Jerrard’s conclusion that it would be an unjustifiable use of resources to take any further action.

All parties have been advised of this outcome, with a copy of Mr Jerrard’s advice also provided to Seqwater.

The CMC has also determined that Mr Jerrard’s advice is a matter of public interest and appropriate for public release.

Read the advice in full:

 http://www.cmc.qld.gov.au/topics/misconduct/investigating-misconduct/investigations-and-hearings/2012-examination-of-wivenhoe-dam-engineers-conduct/advice-from-john-jerrard-qc

21.8.12

Their home's not flood proof – but it's close

Peter and Suzanne Davies have rebuilt their home
since being damaged during the 2011 floods
and have made it with greener and resilient
building principles to better enable to it
to withstand another flood.

HAVING to rebuild a home after a flood is an experience Peter and Suzanne Davies don't ever want to repeat.

And hopefully, thanks to a bit of ingenuity, they won't have to.

When the time came for Mr and Mrs Davies to restore their Chelmer double-storey brick home after the 2011 floods they embraced the chance to 'build back better'.

Now the house is not only more environmentally sustainable but includes a range of features to better withstand another flood.

They include a prototype modular kitchen that can be removed with 24 hours notice.

A special wiring system was installed, with separate electrical circuits for each level of the house.

"That way, in the event of another flood, if the water doesn't reach the second floor, the electricity to the upper level won't be affected," Mrs Davies said.

"We could then continue to live on the upper level while the downstairs was being dried out and rebuilt."

A solar hot water system replaced the old electric heater.

Plumbing allowed rainwater to flush toilets and insulation reduced the home's energy requirements for heating and cooling.

Architect of the project Mark Thomson said the biggest challenge was building back sustainably within the constraints of the insurance process.

Mr Thomson, who volunteered his services to help the homeowners, said cost had been a major consideration.

"The goal was to prove that we could still build back green while working within the budget set by the insurance company," he said.

Mr Thomson said the project was a major achievement and a proactive solution for lifestyle thinking.

"If residents believe they could be flooded in the future then they should consider putting in ideas and principles that will help them respond to disaster," he said.

Mr and Mrs Davies' home has been case studied on the Green Cross website at:

http://builditbackgreen.org/ bushfires/in-the-media.aspx

www.TheSatellite.com.au

22.8.12

Brisbane River flood victims no closer to learning the truth

Southeast Queensland dam management
is still a mystery after the $15m flood inquiry.

QUEENSLANDERS are still no closer to learning whether the southeast's dams were managed properly during the 2011 flood after the $15 million flood inquiry's final firework turned out to be a damp squib.

The Crime and Misconduct Commission yesterday said a flaw in the dams' operations manual in use at the time could easily have explained apparent inconsistencies in flood engineers' evidence to the floods inquiry.

The CMC said it would be "oppressive" to mount a prosecution of three engineers whom the commission referred to it in March after allegations in the inquiry's final report that they concocted their official accounts of the event.

CMC chairman Ross Martin, SC, told The Courier-Mail the crime-fighting body had not been asked to look at the "critical issue" of the engineers making huge releases on January 11, "which was the event that triggered the actual flooding".

"The flood inquiry had its own terms of reference and it was the flood inquiry's task to pursue that and I make no criticism of that," Mr Martin said.

"We were given a much more narrow and specific focus and we've done our job."

Mr Martin said the CMC had pointed out the problem to Seqwater, who said the flaw over the definition of the "W2" strategy had been fixed.

"The revision 9 of the Wivenhoe Manual was reviewed ahead of the 2011-12 wet season and has improvements in terms of clarity and explanation of the different strategies (ie. W1, W2, W3 and W4) and the transition and decision making process between them," a spokesman said.

Seqwater said it remained "acutely aware of the impact of the floods and the devastation caused which is ongoing for so many in our community" but it was "important not to lose sight of the magnitude and rarity of the January event".

The Courier-Mail first revealed problems with the manual of operations for Somerset and Wivenhoe dams in May 2011.

The newspaper reported dam expert Max Winders in January as saying the manual was still flawed despite revisions following the flood inquiry's interim report the previous August.

Yesterday Mr Winders said the manual the engineers had used was "pathetic . . . but it wasn't those poor buggers' fault".

"The new manual is just as bad because it's not optimising flood mitigation," he said.

Mr Winders said there was a governance problem in the management of water infrastructure.

With Premier Campbell Newman ruling out any further royal commissions into the floods, victims and taxpayers now face only the uncertain prospect that civil litigation will test whether the State Government managed the dams properly.

Law firm Maurice Blackburn has registered interest from 4000 people in a suit against the government, with 2000 "committed".

IMF, which is funding the action, said it was pressing ahead and the CMC decision had no effect.

IMF's John Walker said reports from US experts had been held up by State Government delays but their findings, mapping who would not have been flooded if the dams had been managed differently, were now expected by the end of next month and would be made public.

The engineers, John Tibaldi and Terry Malone of Seqwater, and Robert Ayre, previously of SunWater, all declined to comment. Friends and colleagues said the men were deeply relieved after a stressful period.

John Ruffini, a flood engineer who gave evidence at the inquiry but was not referred to the CMC, told The Courier-Mail yesterday that he felt for his colleagues.

"I've spoken to the guys and they're all very relieved," he said. "I've known them for a long time. They're very honest."

Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney said the engineers had been made "scapegoats" by the previous government.

He said he remained troubled that former Bligh government ministers "got off scot-free" in the aftermath of the devastating flood.

www.CourierMail.com.au

22.8.12

Class action plans continue despite CMC report over 2011 Floods Inquiry

Brisbane River flood at Smiths Rd
Goodna 11 January 2011

THE exoneration of three Wivenhoe dam engineers accused of misleading Queensland's flood inquiry won't derail plans for a class action by flood victims, lawyers say.

The Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC) says John Tibaldi, Robert Ayre and Terry Malone won't face criminal or disciplinary action over their testimony to the inquiry.

After a five-month review, the CMC said there was no evidence the engineers colluded to mislead the floods inquiry about how the dam was managed before Brisbane and Ipswich flooded in January 2011.

Retired judge John Jerrard QC, who conducted the CMC's review, found the dam was operated in breach of its manual.

He said ambiguity in the manual provided an explanation for all of the engineers' inconsistent statements and descriptions of what they did during the flood crisis.

"There is no evidence that I have seen which suggests that the conduct of Mr Tibaldi, Mr Ayre and Mr Malone relating to the preparation of documents surrounding the January 2011 flood event, and oral testimony given to the flood inquiry, evidences offences against the Criminal Code or official misconduct under the Crime and Misconduct Act 2001," Mr Jerrard found.

In line with the flood inquiry's recommendations, the CMC's probe was limited to documents the engineers prepared about their actions, and their oral testimony to the inquiry.

It did not look at whether their management of the dam's gates during the flood crisis could amount to a criminal offence or official misconduct.

During flood inquiry's hearings earlier this year, much was made about a final report by dam operator Seqwater, primarily written by Mr Tibaldi, with input from Mr Ayre and Mr Malone.

The Seqwater report dealt with the timing of the engineers' escalation of water releases from the dam.

Counsel assisting the commission Peter Callaghan doggedly questioned the men about inconsistencies in their version of events.

He eventually accused them of colluding to write a fictitious final report for Seqwater, after the fact.

In March, flood inquiry Commissioner Catherine Holmes found there was evidence the engineers had colluded to pen a misleading report.

She recommended the CMC investigate whether the men had deliberately misled her inquiry, something the CMC has now roundly dismissed.

IMF, a litigation funder for law firm Maurice Blackburn, says the CMC's findings won't derail plans for a potential class action on behalf of more than 4000 flood victims against Seqwater and the state government.

IMF says the CMC's findings don't deal with whether Seqwater, which is government owned, was negligent.

"Unfortunately, none of the inquiries to date that have been state-sponsored have addressed the state's potential liability," IMF executive director John Walker told AAP.

He said IMF was awaiting reports from experts in the United States about the dam's operation and potential negligence. He's expecting to hear back within four weeks.

Engineers Australia said the CMC's findings backed its stance that the three men had performed their technical role appropriately in a highly stressful and uncertain environment.

"We are pleased that the professional reputation of the registered engineers has been upheld," the group's Queensland president, Steven Goh, said.

"This decision will come as a relief to the engineers involved ... they have been under enormous pressure and scrutiny."

Ipswich councillor Paul Tully said the CMC investigation was "a disgraceful whitewash".

"The terms of reference considered by the CMC were extremely narrow," he told AAP.

Mr Tully, whose home was inundated during the 2011 flood, said the commission of inquiry earlier this year had found the dam had not been operated in accordance with its manual.

The CMC should have looked at whether this amounted to official misconduct instead of just considering the evidence that was given to the inquiry, he said.

"It's a real disappointment to the flood victims who were expecting more out of that than just a narrow interpretation of what the circumstances were," he said.

www.couriermail.com.au

21.8.12

Brisbane River Flood class action will not be derailed because of CMC finding



Wivenhoe Dam during the January 2011 flood.


The exoneration of three Wivenhoe dam engineers accused of misleading Queensland’s flood inquiry won’t derail plans for a class action by flood victims, lawyers say.

The Crime and Misconduct Commission says John Tibaldi, Robert Ayre and Terry Malone won’t face criminal or disciplinary action over their testimony to the inquiry.

After a five-month review, the CMC said there was no evidence the engineers colluded to mislead the floods inquiry about how the dam was managed before Brisbane and Ipswich flooded in January 2011.

Retired judge John Jerrard QC, who conducted the CMC’s review, found the dam was operated in breach of its manual.

He said ambiguity in the manual provided an explanation for all of the engineers’ inconsistent statements and descriptions of what they did during the flood crisis.

"There is no evidence that I have seen which suggests that the conduct of Mr Tibaldi, Mr Ayre and Mr Malone relating to the preparation of documents surrounding the January 2011 flood event, and oral testimony given to the flood inquiry, evidences offences against the Criminal Code or official misconduct under the Crime and Misconduct Act 2001,’’ Mr Jerrard found.

In line with the flood inquiry’s recommendations, the CMC’s probe was limited to documents the engineers prepared about their actions, and their oral testimony to the inquiry.

It did not look at whether their management of the dam’s gates during the flood crisis could amount to a criminal offence or official misconduct.

During flood inquiry’s hearings earlier this year, much was made about a final report by dam operator Seqwater, primarily written by Mr Tibaldi, with input from Mr Ayre and Mr Malone.

The Seqwater report dealt with the timing of the engineers’ escalation of water releases from the dam.Counsel assisting the commission Peter Callaghan doggedly questioned the men about inconsistencies in their version of events.

He eventually accused them of colluding to write a fictitious final report for Seqwater, after the fact.In March, flood inquiry Commissioner Catherine Holmes found there was evidence the engineers had colluded to pen a misleading report.

She recommended the CMC investigate whether the men had deliberately misled her inquiry, something the CMC has now roundly dismissed.

IMF, a litigation funder for law firm Maurice Blackburn, says the CMC’s findings won’t derail plans for a potential class action on behalf of more than 4000 flood victims against Seqwater and the state government.

IMF says the CMC’s findings don’t deal with whether Seqwater, which is government owned, was negligent.

"Unfortunately, none of the inquiries to date that have been state-sponsored have addressed the state’s potential liability," IMF executive director John Walker said.

He said IMF was awaiting reports from experts in the United States about the dam’s operation and potential negligence.

He’s expecting to hear back within four weeks.

www.BrisbaneTimes.com.au

21.8.12

Flood Shock: CMC clears Wivenhoe Dam engineers



Wivenhoe Dam during
the January 2011 flood.

The Crime and Misconduct Commission has found no evidence of criminal or official misconduct against three Wivenhoe Dam engineers.

In a statement issued this morning, a CMC spokeswoman said the watchdog had finalised a review of material provided by the Queensland Floods Commission of Inquiry, which had recommended it investigate the conduct of three of the engineers operating Wivenhoe Dam – John Tibaldi, Robert Ayre and Terry Malone.

Then-premier Anna Bligh referred the matter to the CMC on March 16.

Wivenhoe Dam engineer Robert Ayre during the Queensland Floods Commission of Inquiry. Photo: Michelle Smith

The CMC investigation concerned the engineers' preparation of documents surrounding the January 2011 flood, oral testimony given to the commission and possible criminal offences and/or official misconduct committed by any, or all, of them.

"A determination has been reached that there is no evidence to suggest the conduct of the engineers evidences offences against the Criminal Code or official misconduct," she said.

"...The CMC is satisfied that upon examination of the material, there is no evidence to suggest the conduct of the engineers evidences offences against the Criminal Code or official misconduct and accepts (retired Justice of Queensland Court of Appeal John) Jerrard's conclusion that it would be an unjustifiable use of resources to take any further action."


Wivenhoe Dam engineer Robert Ayre
during the Queensland Floods
Commission of Inquiry.

In line with the flood inquiry’s recommendations, the CMC said its probe was limited to documents the engineers prepared about their actions and their testimony to the inquiry.

It did not look at whether their management of the dam’s gates during the flood crisis could amount to a criminal offence or official misconduct.

The CMC also noted that because the flood inquiry had not criticised the engineers’ adoption of the dam water release strategy W4, "with the inevitable flooding of parts of metropolitan Brisbane", it did not consider this eventuality.

The W4 strategy aims to protect the structural integrity of the dam, rather than mitigate flooding.

During the flood inquiry’s hearings earlier this year, much was made about a final report by dam operator Seqwater, primarily written by Mr Tibaldi, with input from Mr Ayre and Mr Malone.

The Seqwater report dealt with the engineers’ escalation of water releases from the dam.

In February, counsel assisting the commission Peter Callaghan doggedly questioned the three men about what they did and when they did it.

He eventually accused them of colluding to write a fictitious report about their actions, after the fact.

www.BrisbaneTimes.com.au

21.8.12



Ipswich flood alert system in for upgrade

Brisbane River flood at Goodna in
January 2011 with the Ipswich
Motorway in the centre of the
picture partly submerged .

 FLOOD alerts will be boosted in high-risk areas to heighten warnings in the wake of hard-learnt lessons from the January 2011 floods.

Ipswich City Council is about to undertake a project to upgrade its flood and rainfall monitoring system across the city.

Councillor Cheryl Bromage said a number of rainfall-only alert stations as well as stream and rainfall alert stations would be installed.

The new locations include Ripley, Six Mile Creek, Goodna Creek, upstream of Grandchester, Rosewood, Redbank Plains, Thagoona and Washpool," Cr Bromage said.

"Installing these stream/rainfall alert stations will enhance council's flood warning systems and provide council with more information to draw upon during flooding situations."

Cr Bromage said council would now call for tenders for the project to complement the council's network of stream and rainfall alert stations throughout the Ipswich region.

"Council's regional alert station network links into the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) flood telemetry system, which the BoM use to provide flood and weather warnings to the general public and other councils," she said.

"This is another example of council improving its flood preparedness in light of the extreme weather events of recent years."

Information from these alert stations could also provide data for incorporation in future Australian Rainfall and Run off publications.

"The data produced will also help us to better plan for the future by providing average rainfall figures and stream heights over a wider area," Cr Bromage said.

"Historical knowledge and observations from previous large rainfall/flooding events in the region and future development areas will provide a better basis for long-term planning."

As part of their ongoing partnership, the council will engage the Ipswich Rivers Improvement Trust (IRIT) to project manage the installation of the new stream and rainfall alert stations.

www.QT.com.au

15.8.12

Brisbane River Flood cheats should be 'ashamed', says magistrate

 



Alice St Goodna between Church St
and Bertha St as the floodwaters
recede  in January 2011



An Ipswich man who made a fake claim to gain $11,000 in emergency relief grants by lying about the flood damage done to property in his house has been handed a suspended prison sentence.

There are currently reportedly more than 1000 cases of flood grant fraud before the courts, including Tuafoa Ete who lied in a statutory declaration and listed items lost at his Goodna home in January last year.

He was handed $11,000 but police investigated and discovered many of the items hadn't been destroyed at his home west of Brisbane.

Magistrate Michael Quinn told Ete he hoped he was "thoroughly ashamed" of himself, telling the defendant "you took advantage of money that was there for people who lost".

www.BrisbaneTimes.com.au

13.8.12

More blabber from FABAH as the end draws nigh

Goodna resident Reg O'Dea addresses a class action
flood group meeting at Goodna on 16 March 2012
convened by local Councillor Paul Tully

Flood victims are warned to think carefully before being caught up with doomsday sayers who are endlessly claiming there may be a "better" flood class action deal around the corner from the pending Maurice Blackburn class action.

Every Friday, some enterprising chap from FABAH (Flood Affected Businesses and Housholders) in downtown Brisbane files an online report citing the supposed perils of signing up now for the Maurice Blackburn class action.

Whether this dire warning is based on premonition, superstition, supposition or some other God-given talent, recipients are regaled with fabulous ideas of cheap legal actions from other firms who are yet to materialise with any clear indication how they would fund their engineering and hydrological flood studies let alone any possible subsequent legal action.

FABAH is good on yabber and blabber but the people of Goodna and Ipswich are advised to take little notice of this malcontent group - or is it actually a one-man band - with Decision Day ("D-Day") soon approaching for people to sign up to the Maurice Blackburn class action.

Thought for the Day: "A ton of FABAH blabber is worth an ounce of Maurice Blackburn advice."

Like Goodna like Bundaberg: RACQ Insurance still ripping off consumers

WHAT THE: Bill and Trish Applebee are appalled
at the increase in their house and contents insurance.

Insurance up by 689%

A BUNDABERG couple are flabbergasted their annual house and contents insurance has soared by more than $5000 since their last bill.

Trish and Bill Applebee thought it must be a mistake that last year's $895 bill had become $5921.20 this year.

"I was expecting a hike on the new bill, but nothing like this," Mrs Applebee said.

"I went to the Bundaberg RACQ office to check, they looked our policy and said it was correct."

Mr Applebee said he later went into the office to see if they could opt out of the new flood part of the policy.

"The girl looked up our address on Google maps and said as we are in a flood-prone area and we had no choice but to pay the $5000 extra a year or have no house insurance for fire, theft etc," Mr Applebee said.

"The thing that upset me was the girl saying it was an 'executive decision' made by the board," Mrs Applebee said.

The couple, who are both police officers, said their home in North Bundaberg was not flooded during the 2010-2011 floods and they have not made any claims.

"Our slab was about 1.6m above the flood line," Mr Applebee said.

RACQ Insurance communications executive manager Mike Sopinski said the company operated a "highly sophisticated pricing engine" which prices risk at an individual property address level.

"We look at the individual property, not zones or postcodes in relation to flood. Those properties identified as at high flood risk will experience premium increases," Mr Sopinski said.

Bundaberg Regional Council's general manager of infrastructure, Andrew Fulton, said potential home buyers could come to the council's planning counter to get a flood management map showing which areas in Bundaberg were expected to be covered in water in the next flood event.

"The biggest floods in the region happened in 1875, 1890, 1893, 1942 and 2011," Mr Fulton said.

"The biggest floods were in the 1800s, but 1942 was one metre higher than 2011."

Assistant Treasurer Bill Shorten said the Federal Government had funded a flood portal that would aggregate all flood risk information and make it more accessible to home buyers.

"This will become a national library of flood risk information that will better inform consumers about their level of flood risk.

Geosciences Australia says the first phase of the flood portal is expected to launch later this year.

www.theSatellite.com.au

10.8.12

Government scandal: Seqwater's $170,000 flood review a waste of money

A US Army review of Seqwater's official account of the 2011 flood is a waste of taxpayers' money, according to a leading hydrologist.

Dam expert Max Winders said the move, announced this week by Water Supply Minister Mark McArdle, was a "Clayton's review - the review you have when you're not having a review''.

It would "tick off the Seqwater report and give it an aura of respectability'' rather than subject it to a proper audit, Mr Winders said.

During hearings in February the lawyer assisting the flood inquiry called Seqwater's account a "fiction'' concocted by the flood engineers.

Mr Winders said the review's narrow terms of reference and focus on dam safety meant it would fail to examine the most important issue: whether the state's dams were used most effectively for flood mitigation.

"We deserve a better review than this,'' he said.

"These guys shouldn't be here to look at dam safety.

"They should be here to look at flood mitigation.''

Mr McArdle defended the exercise, saying it was a recommendation of the Flood Inquiry and that the people conducting it, from the US Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation, would have a "fairly wide ambit''.

They would be able to ask questions of Government employees, but any answers would have to be in writing, "to avoid any suggestion of anything not being kosher''.

"It may open a whole new stream of inquiry,'' Mr McArdle said. But Premier Campbell Newman had already ruled out any further royal commission.

The report of the $170,000 review, expected in three or four weeks, is confined to the "objective data'' in the Seqwater report.

It is not allowed to examine the conduct of the flood engineers, three of whom were referred to the Crime and Misconduct Commission.

The CMC said yesterday that it was "close to finalising'' its review of inquiry.

www.CourierMail.com.au

11.8.12

Brisbane River 2011 flood clean-up kept city healthy

Professor Lidia Morawska says the possible
health risks receding floodwaters from
the January 2011 floods were reduced
thanks to clean-up efforts.

The “mud army” which helped clean up Brisbane following last year’s devastating floods helped locals breath more easily than other cities affected by similar natural disasters.

An air quality study has found the rapid response of volunteers who helped clean up thousands of tonnes of mud, broken furniture and garbage had minimised residents’ exposure to public health risks.

Researchers from QUT’s International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health measured fine dust particles, mould and bacteria in 40 flood-affected homes over two rounds of testing last year.

Lead investigator Professor Lidia Morawska said health issues such as respiratory problems were associated with receded floodwaters.

However, the Keperra local said possible health risks from the January 2011 floods were reduced thanks to the efforts of Brisbane’s residents and volunteers.

“Because of the speed of cleaning and drying after the floods, the level of mould and dust was relatively low, much lower than in places such as New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina,” she said.

“Intense cleaning and drying of people’s belongings and homes was the key.”

The test results showed only slightly higher concentrations of dust particles and mould in flooded homes, compared to homes that weren’t flood affected.

The findings from the study, believed to be an Australian first, were presented at the tenth International Healthy Buildings Conference in Brisbane last month.

www.TheWesterner.com.au

9.8.12

Goodna Bowls to get new clubhouse



Goodna Bowls Club Chair and founding member Stan Briscoe
is excited about their soon to be built club house.


CHRISTMAS promises to be extra special this year for members of the Goodna Bowls Club.

More than 18 months after floodwater destroyed the 25-year-old community club, construction work has begun on a new clubhouse.

Like many other Ipswich sporting and community groups, members of the Goodna club have been making do with temporary facilities while patiently waiting for a more permanent replacement of their clubhouse.

With only demountable buildings to call home since the greens reopened in March last year, the club has lost all of its 200 social members and some of its 100 full members.

Despite the obvious challenges, many club members stayed involved and are now looking forward to a long-awaited celebration at Christmas.

Stan Briscoe, the club chairman, and founding member, said that after more than a year in a tin shed, the opening of the new clubhouse could not come soon enough.

"We're the last of the Mohicans," Mr Briscoe said.

"The football club has been up and running for a while, the RSL next door has been going for a year and the main club is now also open. It's been a frustrating time for all of us."

The loss of members and income would have crippled most groups but the committee of the bowls club decided early on that the flood would not beat them.

"It was pretty devastating when we saw the damage," club secretary Cathie Wilmington said.

"Everything was destroyed.

"We said at the time we would operate out of the shed if we had to and we did for a while."

While there is no firm completion date for the building, Mr Briscoe said they hoped to be in by Christmas.

The original clubhouse was built in 1987 from two donated former school classrooms.

The new building will include function facilities, bars and a gaming room that will help resurrect the club's finances.

"It's going to be fantastic," Mr Briscoe said. "The council has been fantastic. They have given us a lot of input into the design so we will have everything we had before and more."

The $2.4 million clubhouse has been funded by the State and Federal governments through the Queensland Reconstruction Authority and the Ipswich City Council.

www.QT.com.au

Brisbane River Flood: US experts called in for dam review

US experts will review Seqwater's Wivenhoe Dam operating manual, which came under extreme scrutiny at the Queensland Floods Commission of Inquiry.

The review of the operating manual and the dam operator's Flood Event Report will be jointly conducted by the United States Bureau of Reclamation and the United State Army Corps of Engineers, in line with recommendations made by the inquiry into last year's Queensland floods.

Water Minister Mark McArdle said it was best "fresh expert eyes" reviewed Seqwater's flood mitigation manual, which was called into contention at the inquiry.

And flood victims are considering a class action against the state government.

"While the government's preference was to use Australian dam and flood mitigation experts, this appointment gives Queensland residents, especially flood victims, absolute independence in this important review," Mr McArdle said.

Wivenhoe Dam's role in Brisbane's January floods came under scrutiny at the commission of inquiry, with critics arguing more water should have been released sooner.

In July last year, the commission issued a report from independent hydrological expert Mark Babister who concluded Wivenhoe engineers achieved close to the best possible mitigation during the January floods.

This was despite 59 per cent of floodwaters in southeast Queensland coming from dam releases.

But in the inquiry's interim report last August, Justice Catherine Holmes found dam engineers were not properly trained in the most serious water-release emergency level W4 under the operations manual.

The commission also found Seqwater made a “technical” breach of the legal dam manual that guided water releases because one of the flood engineers was not registered with the Board of Professional Engineers Queensland during the last wet season.

A hydrology report, commissioned by the Insurance Council of Australia, ruled the Brisbane flood to be a "dam release flood".

It named the release of water from Wivenhoe Dam as being the “principal immediate cause” of the riverine flood, as rain ceased about 6pm on January 11, more than 24 hours before the Brisbane River peaked overnight on January 12-13.

In its long-awaited final report, the commission of inquiry found non-compliance with the manual under which Wivenhoe Dam was supposed to be operated ahead of the January 2011 flood that swamped Brisbane and Ipswich.

The United States Bureau of Reclamation is the largest wholesaler of water in the USA - operating 457 dams including the Hoover Dam - while the United States Army Corps of Engineers owns and operates more than 600 dams.

Their final report is due to be completed by September 24.

www.BrisbaneTimes.com.au

3.8.12



Council to implement flood plan recommendations

MAYOR Paul Antonio says Toowoomba Regional Council does not intend on ignoring the flood inquiry's recommendations even if they are not made into law.

Local Government Association of Queensland senior executive Greg Hoffman told a conference in Ipswich that the State Government was reluctant to use the recommendations as the basis for new laws.

The Queensland Floods Commission of Inquiry cost taxpayers $15 million and made 177 recommendations, more than 50 of which related directly to councils.

Cr Antonio said the council had already started work on implementing those that related to it.

The commission suggested Toowoomba Regional Council amend its Cooby Dam emergency plan and conduct a failure impact assessment on East Creek's detention basins.

"We are working our hardest to implement the recommendations out of the flood inquiry to ensure this region is prepared if another event like last year's floods hits," he said.

Cr Antonio said the council was investigating the 50-plus recommendations that related to local governments across Queensland to see which were relevant to the region.

www.thechronicle.com.au

3.8.12

2011 Brisbane River Flood: Call for ideas on flood electrical infrastructure

Media Release

 

Minister for Energy and Water Supply

The Honourable Mark McArdle

Call for ideas on flood electrical infrastructure

The Newman Government is seeking feedback to improve the resilience of electrical infrastructure in buildings located in flood-prone areas.

Minister for Energy and Water Supply Mark McArdle today released a discussion paper seeking industry comment on a Queensland Floods Commission of Inquiry recommendation to consider introducing a legislative requirement that electrical substations in buildings be located at or above the defined flood level.

Mr McArdle said while electricity distributors recommend electrical equipment be installed above the defined flood level, there was currently no legislative support for it.

"The location of a substation in a high rise building is at the discretion of the building owner, and for commercial reasons, this is often in the basement," he said.

"During the 2011 floods, electrical substations located in the basements of several high rise buildings in the Brisbane CBD were inundated.

"It meant many businesses were evacuated causing major expense and disruption for building owners and tenants, including the Stamford Plaza Hotel, which was closed for weeks.

"We hope to prevent this and reduce the financial impact on businesses in any future floods."

The discussion paper also seeks feedback on a second Queensland Floods Commission of Inquiry recommendation to consider introducing a mandatory requirement to seal electricity supply conduits below the defined flood level to prevent floodwaters from flowing through them and flooding basements.

Written submissions on the discussion paper 'More resilient electrical infrastructure in high rise buildings', available at www.dews.qld.gov.au., ends at the close of business Friday 31 August 2012.

Submissions can be posted or emailed to:

Mrs Virginia Hunter:

'More resilient electrical infrastructure in high rise buildings'

Department of Energy and Water Supply

PO Box 15456

City East QLD 4002

2.8.12

COMMENT:  This is an excellent opportunity by Minister McArdle for the public to have input into this key issue. As long as development rights continue for single residential property owners without higher costs, this initiative is appropriate for all future major developments in flood areas. - PaulGTully@gmail.com

Queensland Flood Inquiry is a legal washout

QUEENSLAND councils can legally ignore flood inquiry recommendations, leaving a question mark over the effectiveness of the $15 million probe designed to help disaster-proof the state.

A Local Government Association of Queensland conference in Ipswich was told the Newman Government might not even use the recommendations as a springboard for new laws.

"The new State Government's philosophical position is to deregulate rather than regulate," LGAQ senior executive Greg Hoffman said.

Mr Hoffman said if policies stemming from the recommendations became enshrined in law, councils would have to assess their legal positions.

"But I don't think we need to get the cold shakes yet," he said.

The $15 million inquiry's 177 recommendations, more than 50 of which relate directly to councils, were specifically designed to ensure Queensland was better equipped to handle a repeat of the 2010-11 disaster.

Mr Newman has already pledged his Government would "fully implement everything which it is responsible for and work in cooperation with local councils to deliver improved flood outcomes across the state".

The conference was also told the state should never again become complacent about the dangers of floods and cyclones.

Association president Paul Bell said the state had never experienced disasters of the extent and cost of the floods that struck in the early days of 2011.

Mr Bell said if there were a repeat of such disasters the public would be asking questions about whether lessons had been learnt from 2011.

Lawyer Terry Law, who represented the LGAQ during the flood inquiry, said that the recommendations were still "soft recommendations" that did not carry any real danger of litigation.

The recommendations were designed so councils could work with state agencies to formulate regulations which were effective.

Only when the state began "enshrining them in statute" would councils be forced to assess their legal obligations, he said.

www.CourierMail.com.au

2.8.12