Call for checks on flood trackers

Jim Beam White 1L

FLOOD monitoring cameras and automated road closure warnings failed to trigger when huge amounts of churning water rushed through the Far North last month.

An independent review of the extreme weather event ordered by Cairns Regional Council is unlikely to be delivered in less than a month.

Mindful there could still be a late burst in the wet season, the council is reviewing its own processes in the meantime to see where improvements need to be made.

The council’s governance committee yesterday received the Local Disaster Management Group minutes from March 20, outlining a handful of shortcomings including the failure of the flood camera at Ryan Weare Park in Freshwater.

Division 6 Cr Linda Cooper called for every flood warning tool to be thoroughly inspected before future wet seasons started.

“There’s no point post-an event, during an event or whatever, for us to find out this is not working for whatever reason,” she said.

“I think we need to build it into the disaster management group’s checks and balances, a system in place prior to wet seasons, to make sure all this equipment is up and running.

“I understand that was a warranty issue and that was just a faulty mechanism, but I do think we need to be making those checks.”

The report to the council says Bureau of Meteorology service levels to the council seemed to be reducing.

“Modelling that has previously been done by BOM will now only be done if they have staff available,” it said.

“(Disaster co-ordinator) Ian Fell is currently looking at alternatives for modelling.”

Cr Cooper further asked for a better warning system to be established for the flood-prone Kamerunga Rd roundabout at Freshwater.

“A lot of people are getting into the floodwater before they realise the road’s about to be closed,” she said.

“As soon as that water starts going up, there is nowhere to turn.”

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