Camera failure a serious issue

THE failure of a vital flood camera network in the Redlynch Valley has been highlighted during this week’s torrential downpours and local flooding events.

There are supposed to be three cameras in the valley at Mary Parker Drive, Rocks Rd and Currunda Creek, installed last June, but more than six months later, there are still problems with the provision of footage from the $100,000 investment.

Yesterday, online footage was finally available of the creek and Rocks Rd cameras but not Mary Parker Drive.

The cameras are part of a plan to avoid the disaster nearly two years ago when a significant rainfall event associated with Cyclone Nora on March 26, 2018, caused major flooding in Redlynch Valley.

The cameras are vital to giving residents and motorists an idea if it is safe to drive through the areas during heavy rain and flooding.

Peets Bridge in the Goldsborough Valley is the only access bridge for people living in the area and it is crucial that residents can get an accurate picture of water levels in case they have to evacuate.

Freshwater Creek is monitored by a camera at Ryan Weare Park at Freshwater.

With this week’s huge downpour, the cameras in Redlynch Valley were not working properly and proved useless for residents and drivers.

Next week, the forecast of more heavy rainfall combined with king tides has prompted the Cairns Regional Council to make sandbags available this weekend for residents.

But not all the vital cameras in the Redlynch Valley will be operational.

Let’s hope that nothing tragic happens.

Nick Dalton

Deputy editor