7 hours Ago By Savannah Meacham, Rachael Ward
Tourists are being urged not to cancel Easter holiday plans as parts of Queensland recover from ex-tropical cyclone Alfred’s devastating deluge. The holidays are three weeks away and usually a busy time for the Sunshine State’s tourism industry, bringing more than $2.5 billion to the economy last year.
Tourism Minister Andrew Powell said the state needed to recover quickly after Alfred hammered south-east Queensland and northern NSW. The Queensland government and Gold Coast council will work to restore beaches along the tourist strip. Credit: Justin McManus “Our message to the rest of Australia and to the world is that Queensland remains open for business,” he told parliament on Wednesday.
Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate had earlier acknowledged the hit to beaches but vowed to have them restored within weeks. Powell said the Environment Department was assessing beaches and would look to replenish them with sand from offshore dredges. The former cyclone dumped more than one metre of rain on the Gold Coast hinterland in less than a week.
In parliament, Premier David Crisafulli paid tribute to the people affected by the disaster and all those who rallied to help. “We know the work is far from over and we are continuing that work,” he said. The severe weather led to 13,150 State Emergency Service jobs over nine days, with 3676 calls for help on Monday – a one-day record.
The government has allowed fuel stations, abattoirs and food processing facilities to trade 24/7 for resupply following the disaster. Supermarkets had already been approved to resupply around the clock to restock across south-east Queensland after shelves were stripped bare by panic buying. Meanwhile, personal hardship payments have been expanded for affected parts of Brisbane and the Scenic Rim after previously being activated for the Gold Coast, Logan and Moreton Bay.
Brisbane City Council has set up more than 190 temporary waste bin sites across the city where the severe weather has impacted regular kerbside waste collections. More than 50,000 homes and businesses remain without power, down from a peak of 420,000. Students at more than 100 schools across south-east Queensland will stay home for another day amid damage assessments.
No further significant rainfall is forecast for the remainder of the week with some light coastal showers possible, the Bureau of Meteorology says. Several flood warnings have been downgraded but moderate risk remains on the Logan, Richmond, Clarence and Arara rivers spanning Queensland and NSW. AAP.
