Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Human Services, Senator Ludwig. Can the minister inform the Senate of the extent of the damage caused by the extraordinary series of storms recently in Queensland?

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Moore, a Queensland senator, for the question. In relation to the storms that lashed South-East Queensland last week, I was able to get a first-hand account of the damage caused by those storms, which have taken a terrible toll on the people of Queensland. Our thoughts are with those thousands of families that have been caught up in the disaster. The storms, of course, first hit on the afternoon of Sunday, 16 November 2008, when 69 millimetres of rain fell within 30 minutes, causing local flooding in Brisbane. The storms brought heavy rain, hail and wind gusts of up to 130 kilometres per hour, causing branches and trees to fall across roadways and, of course, onto houses. Fallen power poles blacked out over 80,000 houses in the region. About 4,000 homes were seriously affected and 1,800 were uninhabitable within the suburbs of The Gap, Keperra, Ferny Hills and Ashgrove, which were the worst affected. Brisbane was officially declared a natural disaster area by the state government. Tragically, one man was killed when he was swept away in a stormwater drain while attempting to photograph the storm.

As emergency services crews began cleaning up and tarping properties that had lost roofs, a second major storm struck South-East Queensland on the night of Wednesday, 19 November, causing widespread flooding across the region. Flash flooding swept through areas between Toowoomba and Ipswich, with falls of more than 200 millimetres being recorded up to midnight. One woman, tragically, lost her life when she was washed away with her car in flooding near Laidley. Major highways and suburban roads were impassable, train lines cut and emergency services told people not to travel unless it was absolutely essential. The Rudd government swung into immediate action on Monday. The Prime Minister, Mr Kevin Rudd, visited affected areas in Brisbane’s north-west and immediately— (Time expired)

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I thank the minister for his response and ask the minister: what has the government done on the ground?

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In consultation with Minister Macklin, the Acting Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, activated the natural disaster relief and recovery arrangements. Under these arrangements—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am sorry that the opposition do not want to hear this. Under these arrangements, the Australian government provided immediate additional assistance to the people adversely affected by the storms that battered the region on Sunday, 16 November. The assistance was then extended in the south-east to cover those seriously affected by further storms and flash flooding on 19 and 20 November. The funding provided immediate financial assistance to anyone who had been seriously injured as a direct result of the disaster or whose principal place of residence had been destroyed or significantly damaged. The funding included grants for food, clothing, accommodation and emergency repairs to housing. Of course, under the national emergency management arrangements activated, up to 800 defence personnel were deployed from the Enoggera Army base in Brisbane to work closely with the SES to help clear roads and storm damage— (Time expired)

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Specifically, Minister, what is the situation on the ground today?

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am advised by the Queensland Minister for Emergency Services, Mr Neil Roberts, that to date over 4,200 homes and businesses have been reported damaged; over 23,000 calls have been made to the SES hotline; at least 250 to 400 SES volunteers from Queensland and interstate have been involved on a daily basis, contributing an estimated 23,000 volunteer hours of effort; and more than 4,000 jobs have been completed across Queensland, including an estimated 940 tarping jobs. On the Centrelink front, to date, almost $3.2 million has been delivered to approximately 2,600 adults and 1,500 children. People should not self assess but should retest their eligibility for the payment with Centrelink. I can assure all Queenslanders that the federal government is working closely with the Queensland state government during this difficult time. I take the opportunity of commending Queenslanders both for their resilience and for their community spirit. (Time expired)