THE FLOOD OF S
OME grandstanding politicians along with a few Facebook warriors have been critical of the “lack” of media about the devastating flood crisis out in the state’s north-west.
Let’s set the record straight. There has been plenty of coverage of the floods in regional and national media. The Townsville Bulletin was out there on the ground in Hughenden and Julia Creek this week. A quick check on Google revealed coverage in the Cairns Post, The Australian, The Courier-mail, News Corp’s national rural paper
The Weekly Times, Seven News,
Nine News, ABC national radio and TV, Queensland Country Life and
North Queensland Register, Sunrise, Brisbane Times, Sydney Morning Herald, Sky News, the Rockhampton Morning Bulletin, Mackay Mercury, the North-west Star and countless radio stations and digital platforms.
Logistical realities
MOST media coverage was carried out from afar and not at ground zero. This was because of logistics.
Roads and highways were cut all over the place. Reporters might have been able to get a commercial flight to Hughenden, Richmond, Cloncurry or Julia Creek, but once in these towns it was impossible to get out to the stations to talk to people whose livelihoods were being washed away or to get ground level images for television or newspapers. The reason being that every helicopter flying out of these towns was loaded to the gunnels with food and medicines for humans and/or hay for cattle. The weight and space that would be taken up by reporters could be put to far better use loaded with hay to keep cattle alive and emergency provisions for humans. That’s the way it had to be. Most media had to get their images from Facebook and their stories over the phone. There was no other way to get access.
Bird’s-eye view
I WAS fortunate in that I was able to pick up a helicopter ride with Harry Terry from Cobbold Gorge who was flying emergency supplies out to stations from Hughenden and Julia Creek. He picked me up at the Lynd Junction Roadhouse 300km north of Hughenden. I was able to get to the flood zone and see what was happening from a chopper, but once on the ground both in Hughenden and Julia Creek, that is where I stayed. There was no way I could go out on one of the hay drops or food drops to stations.
It was frustrating, but there wasn’t room. Politicians and others who want to criticise media coverage should look at what has already been reported regionally and nationally about this still unfolding disaster.
They should also take note of the extenuating circumstances that prevented reporters being able to get out there on the front line.
Horrendous livestock toll
DEAD cattle are everywhere. The magnitude of this disaster in terms of cattle losses and financial and social damage cannot be over-estimated.
It will rip the heart out of the north-west. Maybe a miracle will happen and a lot more cattle will turn up than expected. And, still, during the week there were so many cattle standing up to their bellies in these inland seas of fresh water. But, the toll rises every day. Even cattle still alive out on the ground where the water has run away are in many cases too exhausted to eat or drink.
You can see their tracks looping the loop in crazy patterns as they wander aimlessly across the sodden plains. And then the tracks stop. That is where it all ends.
Where are the pollies?
IT IS our most senior politicians who need to get out in to the north-west ASAP. The Prime Minister finally visited yesterday but where is the National Party deputy Prime Minister? Where is Barnaby? Where is alternative Prime Minister Bill Shorten and alternative deputy Prime Minister Tanya Plibersek? Federal Parliament did not sit yesterday and is not sitting over the weekend. February 22 (next Friday) to March 10 are non-sitting days. Surely they will come up soon to see first-hand and take stock of the impacts of what is Australia’s worst ever natural disaster in terms of livestock losses.
Battered but unbowed
REMEMBER Carolyn Kerr ( pictured), the owner of a fish and chip shop at Wangan near Innisfail?
She has the fish and chip shop called The Battered Wife. Online trolls objected to the name and are dragging her through hell. It is the emotional equivalent of being dragged over rocks on a rope tied to