Disaster assistance has been activated for 12 south-east Queensland councils as communities prepare for Tropical Cyclone Alfred to make landfall early Friday.
Federal Minister for Emergency Management Jenny McAllister said support had been made available under the joint Commonwealth-state Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA) and would cover counter disaster operation expenses incurred, emergency repairs, and the reconstruction of essential public assets across 12 SEQ councils.
Minister McAllister said this included the local government areas of Brisbane, Fraser Coast, Gold Coast, Gympie, Ipswich, Logan, Moreton Bay, Noosa, Redland, Scenic Rim, Somerset, and Sunshine Coast.
She said the activation supported counter disaster operations including sandbagging, evacuations and debris removal as well as emergency road repairs.
“Local infrastructure plays a critical role in keeping communities connected and safe. This assistance will support councils to prepare for TC Alfred including sandbagging operations and evacuations if required.
“We are working closely with the Crisafulli Government and local councils as we prepare and respond to this event.”
Queensland Minister for Disaster Recovery Ann Leahy said community safety was the government’s top priority, as Cyclone Alfred prepares to cross off the coast of Brisbane as a category 2 system.
“We’re prepared for Cyclone Alfred and we’re asking Queenslanders to do the same,” Minister Leahy said.
“There will be no daylight between the event and our recovery. We have resources on the ground, ready to go, as soon as Cyclone Alfred passes.”
Meanwhile, the Queensland Police Service (QPS) has commenced deployments to assist with preparations and support local communities ahead of the weather system’s arrival.
More than 175 police officers and recruits have been deployed to the Gold Coast, with the State Police Operations Centre (SPOC) working closely with the district to monitor the evolving situation and determine whether additional personnel would be required in coming days.
Acting Police Commissioner Shane Chelepy said QPS officers and staff from across the South East region, including recruits, general duties officers, specialist police, and police staff, were working alongside State Emergency Service (SES) volunteers, Marine Rescue Queensland (MRQ), and other partner agencies to assist communities and enhance response capability ahead of the cyclone’s impact.
Acting Commissioner Chelepy said in addition to these local deployments, officers from Far North Queensland, a region with significant experience responding to severe weather events, were also providing assistance.
“With Tropical Cyclone Alfred still approaching, QPS has already mobilised 176 officers and recruits to assist on the Gold Coast, and we stand ready to deploy further resources as required,” he said.
“This response reflects the strength of our partnerships across the service and the community, with police, staff, SES, Marine Rescue Queensland and others all working together to ensure our communities are as prepared and supported as possible.
