HAVE you read the Queensland Floods Commission of Inquiry Interim Report? No surprises, but interesting reading nonetheless.
What will be up for debate is how we move forward from here. What can we do to be better prepared for the next one?
What I have done as candidate for Mayor, and in response to the report, is release two new policy positions.
I have proposed an SMS-based early warning service for floods and severe weather, and committed to a flood buy back scheme for flood-prone houses.
These are positive plans to make sure we are better prepared if we get more severe flooding in the future
The Early Warning Service is an innovative plan that will help residents ensure they are not caught out again.
And the buy-back policy helps residents ensure they are not subjected to continuous flooding of their houses year after year.
Both policy positions are based on initiatives that are already working well in Brisbane. You can read them in the two posts I have published today
The residents in the Dale Street area have been calling for a buy-back of flood-prone properties as based on the criteria in Brisbane City Council.
I first raised the possibility of a buy-back scheme for regularly flooded properties soon after the January floods, and I am committed to implementing such a scheme as Mayor.
I’m pleased to see MBRC is now putting together a draft buy-back policy.
The recommendations in the Queensland Floods Commission of Inquiry Interim Report show I was on the right track with my criticisms of management of floods on January 11.
The report states that "Moreton Bay Regional Council did not provide well for isolated communities", and the "local disaster management group was not in a position to provide information about what particular area should be evacuated or the location of any evacuation centres".
The Early Warning Service would help meet Recommendations 4.2 and 4.3 of the Queensland Floods Commission of Inquiry Interim Report.
Let me know what else I can propose to better our disaster management in the future.
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