Phillip Thompson (Herbert, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Bureau of Meteorology is returning to Townsville. It was fantastic to be able to make the announcement a couple of weeks ago that six new bureau staff will be based on the ground in our city as a part of the new Australian Climate Service. These staff will be experts in their field, helping Townsville to better prepare for, respond to and recover from natural disasters. Anyone who has lived in Townsville knows that natural disasters are a way of life, and having local knowledge on the ground when the rain is falling and the wind is picking up is incredibly important. Recently we were in a situation where a cyclone was headed to Townsville and we didn't have access to a meteorologist. This wasn't acceptable to me, and neither was it acceptable to the community. I spoke to the minister to see what could be done, and that's why I was extremely grateful that we were able to make this announcement. The best thing about it for me is that during natural disasters the roles of these experts will pivot to providing 24/7, on-the-ground emergency support to local disaster management groups. This means they will have a seat at the table at local disaster management meetings and be on hand to answer questions about rivers that will rise and where roads will flood and be the local community's voice. Recruitment is underway, and I look forward to welcoming these people and their families to Townsville or to acknowledging the people in Townsville who take up the role.