Australia news live: Queensland premier says not unprecedented for cyclones to threaten south-east of state as Alfred looms
Premier says not unprecedented for cyclones to threaten south-east Queensland
David Crisafulli said Tropical Cyclone Alfred wasn’t unprecedented, with history showing cyclones could occur in this part of the state.
We had a category 1 cyclone in 1990, that was Zoe, that came very close to the coast, near the Gold Coast. In 1974 we had [one] which was a category 2 which crossed over Coolangatta, and in 1954 what’s known as “the great Gold Coast cyclone” predated the categories, but long-term residents know how severe that system was.
So we are asking people to do all you can to prepare in the knowledge that we are doing the same … If you do heed the warnings, if you do stay connected, have every confidence that we will get through the event.
Key events
Benita Kolovos
Final decisions on planning scheme to be completed next year
Continuing from our last post: Community consultation on the plans will begin from 17 March and once completed, an advisory panel will be formed and hold public hearings later this year.
Final decisions on the planning scheme will be completed in 2026.
It comes just days after the government announced the final locations of its activity centres earmarked for development.
Early works have begun on the $34.5bn SRL East line with tunnel boring set to commence in 2026. This stage of project has an expected completion of completed by 2035, according to a business case released in 2021. Jacinta Allan said:
Building world-class public transport and building affordable homes around it – it just makes sense. This is the vision that the Suburban Rail Loop delivers. This benefits our whole city, because building enough homes for young people near transport and jobs in established suburbs will take pressure off the outer suburbs.
Benita Kolovos
Victoria pares back plans for high-rise units near future SRL stations
The Victorian government has pared back its plans for high-rise apartments near the future stations along the Suburban Rail Loop.
Following the release of draft vision papers in late 2023 for the first six areas along the SRL East line – Cheltenham, Clayton, Monash, Glen Waverley, Burwood and Box Hill – the government has released structure plans it says respond to feedback. A statement, released by the premier, Jacinta Allan, read:
In some of the more commercial areas where people told us they’d like to see more concentrated development, these limits have increased, while in some of the more residential areas they have been reduced. It’s about striking the right balance.
In Box Hill, in the direct vicinity of the station, towers of up to 40 storeys will be allowed, while in Burwood and Clayton the maximum height will be 20 storeys.
The Cheltenham structure plan, which includes Southland and Highett stations, shows two locations along the Nepean Highway, where the maximum height limit will be lifted to 18 storeys.
In Glen Waverley and Monash, developments near the stations will be able to go to 25 storeys. The new plans also depict new open spaces, pedestrian crossings and cycling paths.
Dramatic drop in feral horse numbers in Kosciuszko National Park
Lisa Cox
Efforts to control feral horse populations in Kosciuszko National Park are finally on track, with the NSW government close to hitting its target to reduce the number of horses in the park to 3,000.
The environment minister, Penny Sharpe, has told an estimates hearing that recent counts – which are still under peer review – put the number of horses in the park at 3,000 to 4,000.
It’s a dramatic reduction on the 17,000 horses the 2023 count estimated were in the park and suggests the government could reach the 3,000 target two years early.
Feral horses trampling through the park cause significant damage to its fragile ecosystems. Sharpe said:
We’re very close to reaching the target that was legislated … it’s a really important milestone.
Control measures, such as ground shooting and trapping and rehoming, to maintain the population at the lower number will remain in place. Sharpe said this might include some aerial shooting, though it was likely to be less necessary because of the success of the culling program.
The Invasive Species Council’s interim chief executive, Jack Gough, said the vastly improved numbers were welcome news.
The control program will clearly need to continue to reach the legal requirement of no more than 3,000 feral horses in 32% of the national park by June 2027.
Natural population growth of feral horses is about 18% per year, meaning that the government will need to get below the 3,000 target in order to ensure they don’t overshoot it by 2027.
Marine Rescue has 22 vessels ready for response
Marine Rescue Queensland chief officer Tony Wulff was next up, and said it had 22 vessels ready across 13 coastal bases to support the emergency response.
Eighteen of the vessels were specialist medical transport vessels, he said.
We urge vulnerable people living in coastal or island communities, or on vessels, to consider their location and move early. Anyone living on the vessels, please consider your safety and make decisions about that early.
Queensland SES has received hundreds of requests for help
The chief officer of the SES, Mark Armstrong, said the agency had already received more than 450 requests for assistance since last Thursday – most of which being in the past 24 hours.
He told communities that sandbagging earlier was “better than doing it when the rain is falling and the wind is blowing”, directing people to local council website’s for more information on how to access these.
Chelepy says island residents should decide whether to stay or evacuate
Shane Chelepy said for those living on islands, there will come a point when it will be too late to leave.
He said residents should consider their own risk and health conditions to determine whether they should leave or stay.
There will come a point when it will be too late to leave those islands. We are told at this stage within the next 24 to 36 hours we will start to see those ferry and barge services cease to those islands. So if you are making the decision to leave and stay with family and friends, please do so. If you stay, we will make sure we are there to support you.
Police chief tells communities to ready for cyclone
The acting commissioner, Shane Chelepy, is next up, encouraging communities to prepare their homes by securing lose items, clearing gutters and gathering important items and documents in the case of evacuation.
He is also encouraging people to stock up on non-perishables, and obtain battery-operated lights and radio.
We are working with every local council to deeply understand the impact that storm tides could have … especially around those foreshore areas between Noosa and the Gold Coast. We are really focusing [to] understand those at-risk areas which could be significantly impacted …
From Wednesday, we are also expecting to see heavy rain, which will start to cause flash flooding and potentially riverine flooding … This poses a separate risk [to] the storm surge and the heavy winds we are expecting to see.
Alfred’s destructive winds possible ‘through Thursday and into Friday’, BoM says
Sue Oates from the Bureau of Meteorology is also providing an update on the tropical cyclone situation, as things currently stand.
She said the system weakened this morning to category 1, and is moving south-east from the coast. However, it’s expected to turn westward towards the Queensland coast tomorrow morning.
The bureau is expecting a coastal crossing to occur on Thursday or Friday, with the system re-intensifying.
This of course is resulting in treacherous conditions for beachside recreational activities, significant coastal erosion, and inundation of foreshore areas. In addition to the coastal conditions, Tropical Cyclone Alfred will bring damaging wind, with the expectation that there are likely destructive wind. The damaging winds will commence later on the day on Wednesday …
As the system moves closer towards the coast … those destructive winds are possible through Thursday and into Friday.
She added that southern Queensland would experience intense rainfall, with an increased risk of flash flooding and “the likelihood of minor to widespread major flooding”. A flood watch is in place from Bundaberg to south of the border.
Premier says not unprecedented for cyclones to threaten south-east Queensland
David Crisafulli said Tropical Cyclone Alfred wasn’t unprecedented, with history showing cyclones could occur in this part of the state.
We had a category 1 cyclone in 1990, that was Zoe, that came very close to the coast, near the Gold Coast. In 1974 we had [one] which was a category 2 which crossed over Coolangatta, and in 1954 what’s known as “the great Gold Coast cyclone” predated the categories, but long-term residents know how severe that system was.
So we are asking people to do all you can to prepare in the knowledge that we are doing the same … If you do heed the warnings, if you do stay connected, have every confidence that we will get through the event.
Queensland premier updates on transport, schools and supermarkets
David Crisafulli has been outlining the Queensland government’s response to the tropical cyclone in regards to supermarkets, transport and schools.
He said schools would be open tomorrow, and families would be updated each afternoon on what was happening the following day.
On transport, Crisafulli said there were three cruise ships off the coast and “we are assisting them”.
Two of those are looking for alternative ports and we will assist them in that. One will be endeavouring to come into the port of Brisbane and offloading those passages. We will do everything we can to assist them in that regard.
In terms of groceries and supermarket stock, the premier said the government was urging them to “resupply multiple times a day [and] give everyone the opportunity to get the essentials”.
Finally, Crisafulli said he was aware of sporting events scheduled for the second half of the week, and “we are working with all of those sporting groups and clubs and venues to allow them to make those communications”.
Alfred set to bring erosion, damaging winds and flooding – Crisafulli
David Crisafulli said Tropical Cyclone Alfred would begin moving towards the Queensland coast between K’gari island and the border with NSW in the next 24 hours.
He outlined three phases of the weather event: big surf and erosion, damaging winds and, finally, “the complexity that comes with that flooding”.
All three of those present a challenge and, therefore, we are asking people to stay connected throughout this process.
The premier said the early stages of the waves and erosion were occurring currently, with waves over 4m expected off the coast of Brisbane today.
Tropical Cyclone Alfred risk of crossing Queensland coast has increased – premier
The Queensland premier, David Crisafulli, has been providing an update about Tropical Cyclone Alfred from Brisbane.
He said all the modelling indicated the likelihood of a cyclone crossing at the Queensland coast had increased.
My message to Queenslanders today is please be prepared. We are putting all the preparations in place and we are asking Queenslanders to do the same … We are dealing with a very heavily populated part of the state, a state that hasn’t seen a cyclone for many, many years – in fact, many decades.
He said Alfred was currently 450km east of Brisbane. It had recently gone back down to a category 1 system but was expected to re-intensify to category 2.
