Sewage expected to overflow into flood water, Queensland water authority warns
Look, this is both gross and important. In QLD the Seqwater authority is warning that sewage is expected to overflow into some flood water:
We’re experiencing wastewater overflows and releases from some of our wastewater infrastructure due to a range of reasons including increased flows from wet weather, power outages or critical components of pump stations having been removed as part of preparation works.
We’re reminding people to avoid contact with flood water and local waterways following wet weather. During wet weather events, waterways can be impacted by a range of sources including diluted wastewater, debris, animal waste and stormwater run-off.
Drinking water remains safe.
You can find more info here: https://www.urbanutilities.com.au/faults-and-interruptions/incidents
Key events
What we learned: Monday 10 March
And that’s where we’ll leave you this Monday. A lot has happened today; here’s just some of it:
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Flood emergency warnings were issued across NSW and Queensland as rain continued overnight.
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The premiers of NSW and Queensland warned communities of Monday’s rain and the prospect of intensified flooding. It was Brisbane wettest day in 51 years.
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Anthony Albanese announced that from Tuesday eligible workers and sole traders in south-east Queensland and NSW who have lost income as a direct result of ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred will be able to access up to 13 weeks of income support.
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As of this morning, there were about 230,000 people without power across the two states, with many telco towers and NBN connections also offline.
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Queensland’s water authority warned that sewage was expected to overflow into flood water and reminded people to avoid coming into contact with it.
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Federal police said a caravan found in Sydney filled with explosives was “never going to cause a mass casualty event” and was a “fake terrorism plot” that was orchestrated, along with other antisemitic incidents, for motives that were not driven by antisemitism.
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Opposition leader Peter Dutton defended himself again criticism for attending a fundraiser hosted by billionaire Justin Hemmes in Sydney before the cyclone hit, saying “It wasn’t a party, it was a fundraising dinner”.
Thanks for your company today. Look after yourselves, stay safe and dry, and I’ll see you right back here tomorrow for another day of news.
Search for missing surfer after board recovered with bite marks off remote WA beach
Emergency services are scouring waters for a missing surfer feared taken by a shark after a surfboard with bite marks was recovered off a remote southern beach in Western Australia.
The “reported shark bite incident” was being investigated at Wharton Beach in the Duke of Orleans Bay area, about 60km east of Esperance, the WA Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development said on Monday.
Police said that at 12.10pm local time there was a report of a “possible surfer in distress”:
A surf board with evidence of bite marks has been recovered from the water … but no surfer has been sighted.
It is believed the surfer was the victim of a serious shark bite incident.
A shark was sighted in the area a short time prior, and beachgoers left the water.
Police, Marine Rescue WA and SES personnel are searching the coastline for the missing surfer. Two ambulances had been sent to the beach.
Surf Life Saving WA issued an alert warning for water users to take extra care in the Duke of Orleans Bay area in Condingup.
There have been three fatal shark attacks in the region since 2017.
– Australian Associated Press
Susan Chenery
The normally pristine coastline in the northern rivers region of New South Wales has been reconfigured into sand cliffs and fallen trees after ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred.
The rivers are brown and engorged, creeping towards breaching their banks. There is water everywhere – across roads, flooding country people in. The rain has been incessant, pounding down for days. Black-tinged clouds move ominously in a grey sky, promising more.
The lack of electricity is getting old fast. People, says Theresa Mitchell of the charity Agape Outreach Inc, “are struggling and going a bit batty. They have no entertainment for the children, no food access. They come here to get out of the house and get some warm food.”
Houses are starting to smell of damp and mould. Food is rotting in fridges, charging a phone involves ingenuity. There is the frustration of not being able to communicate.
Flood-hardened locals are stoic. After the horrors of 2022 it takes more than localised flooding to rattle them.
Read the full story here:
More reaction to the joint NSW Police and AFP announcement today that the caravan found in Sydney was “never going to cause a mass casualty event” and was a “fake terrorism plot”, and that they had arrested 14 people in relation to antisemitic incidents across Sydney’s east.
To recap: police this afternoon said those antisemitic incidents (including graffiti and arson) investigated by Strikeforce Pearl were not driven by antisemitism but rather by criminals with other motives such as “causing chaos within the community, causing threat, causing angst, diverting police resources away from their day jobs” (to quote deputy commissioner David Hudson).
David Ossip, president of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, said the board welcomes the arrests:
The criminals who allegedly arranged and carried out these violent attacks sought to take advantage of already-strained social cohesion and unprecedented levels of antisemitism by targeting the Jewish community for their own personal benefit. This is reprehensible and had a chilling effect on the Jewish community.
The findings of this investigation should not in any way diminish the summer of fear and anxiety which the Jewish community experienced or the vicious nature of the attacks which included the attempted arson of Synagogues and the firebombing of a childcare centre. Nor should it take away from the record levels of antisemitism experienced over the past 18 months in Australia.
Today’s arrests and the confirmation that the caravan plot was fabricated will bring some comfort to the Jewish community and we look forward to receiving further information as the investigation continues to progress.
Man charged with drink-driving after flood water rescue
A man has been charged with drink-driving after being rescued from flood waters he had attempted to drive through in South Lismore.
About 9.15am, police were called to assist a driver in the Loftville area, finding a 55-year-old man had attempted to cross a flooded section of the road in a four-wheel-drive when the vehicle became stuck, NSW police said in a statement.
The man was assisted out of the water by Police Rescue and SES crews, breath-tested at the site, and allegedly returned a positive result. A later analysis at Casino police station returned an alleged blood alcohol reading of 0.086.
The man’s licence was suspended and he will appear before Lismore local court on Wednesday 19 March 2025.
Here’s a quick rundown of where the other telecommunications and internet services are at in the cyclone-weather-affected areas:
NBN said the number of services affected in south-east Queensland and northern NSW is now at 192,000 (down from 252,000) across the nbn fixed line and fixed wireless networks. Most of the impact is related to mains power outages. That advice was current as of 11am AEDT today.
Optus said 265 mobile sites were without connection due to power failures, with 18 sites in NSW down and the rest in south-east Queensland. Twenty-eight sites had been brought back up in the 16 hours to midday AEDT today, and 145 sites have been restored since the weather event began.
Some mobile phone towers back on line in NSW, Qld but power outages remain
More than 270 Telstra mobile towers in New South Wales and Queensland are back online after ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred swept through, including 37 reactivated today, a spokesperson for the telco said this afternoon.
Power outages are now the main problem, the spokesperson said:
Our network sites have backup systems that keep services running for as long as possible, but customers should be prepared for disruptions if power is out for a long time in their area, or if access is cut to a site.
We’ve also activated our assistance package for affected customers, which includes extra mobile data and free call diversions.
We know this is a tough time and the weather is still unpredictable, so we urge everyone to stay safe and thank them for their patience.
There are still 117 Telstra mobile sites, 6,788 landline phone services and 1,621 ADSL services out of action.
Andrew Messenger
Residents of Grantham, scene of devastating 2011 Qld floods, advised to move to higher ground because of flooding fears
An emergency siren in the Queensland rural town of Grantham has sounded because of concerns about dangerous flooding in the regional community west of Brisbane.
A “very serious storm cell” was reportedly moving in the area of the Lockyer Valley, including in the towns of Laidley and Grantham, according to Queensland premier David Crisafulli.
At about 1pm on Monday afternoon local time, the Lockyer Valley Regional Council issued an emergency warning for Grantham residents, saying:
Dangerous flooding is likely to occur in the Grantham area in the coming hours. Residents should move to higher ground and relocate to family and friends as a matter of urgency.
The Grantham Butter Factory and Gatton Shire Hall are designated as places of shelter.
In 2011, a huge flash flood claimed the lives of 12 residents in Grantham, among the worst loss of life that year.
Lockyer MP Jim McDonald, a senior police officer who served on the disaster management team at the time, said locals were well prepared. The flood level peaked at about 3.15pm, and at the time of writing, was going down. It peaked in Laidley at about 2pm and had subsided 30cm or so.
McDonald said:
For people who know Grantham, [the water has] got up into the main street and got up to the front door of the service station.
McDonald said both communities had experienced substantial flooding but it could have been much worse.
[In Laidley it’s] not as big as the 2013 flood, but it’s a big flood and Grantham is quite high as well, but we haven’t had anybody lose their life. That’s a good thing.
People returning home after the floods advised to avoid hazards, such as fallen power lines
The Public Information and Inquiry Centre, set up to support the ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred emergency response in NSW, has now closed, according to NSW Police.
It has advised members of the public returning home through or to flood-affected areas to avoid damaged powerlines, flood water on roads, and other hazards, and to continue monitoring the SES website, news reports, traffic and weather sources for information about hazardous conditions.
The Red Cross service, “Register, Find, Reunite”, continues to operate, police said.
Andrew Messenger
Hardship assistance extended to more Queensland residents
Personal Hardship Assistance is now available for eligible residents in Redland, the Gold Coast and Logan city councils who are directly affected by ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred.
Support includes a range of grants to assist with the purchase of emergency essentials, the replacement of damaged household goods, and income-tested assistance for structural repairs to properties and the reconnection of essential services.
Residents can check eligibility and apply via www.qld.gov.au/disasterhelp, or by phoning the 24/7 Queensland Community Recovery hotline on 1800 173 349.
Lockyer Valley Regional Council and Southern Downs Regional Councils have also been activated to receive funding for their counter disaster operations and the reconstruction of essential public assets, including emergency repairs to the region’s roads.
These councils join the previously activated councils of Brisbane, Fraser Coast, Gold Coast, Gympie, Ipswich, Logan, Moreton Bay, Noosa, Redland, Scenic Rim, Somerset, and Sunshine Coast.
Andrew Messenger
People in Queensland, NSW start submitting insurance claims from ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred damage
More than 7,500 Queenslanders have already submitted insurance claims for their homes because of damage done by Tropical Cyclone Alfred, just days after the system hit south-east Queensland.
About 464 car and 110 business claims have also been lodged in Queensland as of midday on Monday, according to the Insurance Council of Australia.
There have also been 898 insurance claims raised in New South Wales.
On Sunday, the council declared an “insurance catastrophe” for south-east Queensland and northern NSW, saying:
It is too early to estimate the cost of the damage. However, based on previous similar events, insurers expect many more thousands of claims to be made in coming days and weeks.
Today’s First Dog cartoon is on the Tasmanian salmon industry. I can’t promise it will make you feel better about the world right now (does anything?!) but you should still read it.
Back to the floods
Queensland SES conducted drone flyovers of Gold Coast beaches on the weekend in the aftermath of ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred. With a bird’s-eye view, you can see the quite significant coastal erosion the weather system has caused.
One Broken Hill prison escapee captured, another still on the run
One of two inmates who escaped from a prison in Broken Hill overnight has been re-arrested, while the other remains at large, NSW Police have said.
The two men, aged 23 and 28, were last seen at the jail at about 9.40pm on Sunday, and police believe they left via Gossan Street.
The 23-year-old was arrested on Monday, along with a 31-year-old woman in his company. Police are appealing for public assistance to find the 28-year-old man.
Liberal Jane Hume: Government has allowed antisemitism to continue ‘unchecked’
Political reaction to the revelations about the caravan plot are starting to roll in.
Labor senator Murray Watt told the ABC a short time ago that the government welcomed the announcements by police that there was no risk to public safety, and he took a veiled swipe at the opposition leader in the process:
The government absolutely welcomes the finding by the police that there appeared to be no risk to public safety in this instance and that’s a great relief for the Australian community.
We have, of course, entirely backed the police forces during these investigations and we have not taken the opportunity – like some – to make political statements trying to influence and interfere in that investigation.
But I think even though the police have found there wasn’t a real risk to public safety, I don’t think we can underestimate the harm, psychological harm that it created for the Jewish community. We’ve said on many occasions there’s absolutely no place for antisemitism in our society. I think it’s good news police have made progress in this investigation.
Liberal senator Jane Hume was less veiled in her criticism:
The rise of antisemitism has been allowed to continue unchecked by this government and it’s not just the Jewish community that are feeling under threat but communities around those communities, also. Unfortunately, we now have a really important part of the Australian public feeling unsafe in their homes, in their places of worship and even when they’re walking down the street or in universities and that’s because of the weak leadership of the Albanese government on this issue.
Liberal senator James Patterson posted this on X:
Organised crime concocting terrorism plots targeting the Jewish community is an extremely serious matter. National security ministers and the PM should have been promptly briefed, as the NSW Premier was. The government must now explain whether they were, and if not, why not.
NSW Police, AFP went public on fake terror plot because of connection to Sydney antisemitic attacks
Asked if any of the people arrested today were facing charges specifically in relation to the caravan, Hudson said:
While a number of arrests have been made today and over that, activity was conducted in relation to the caravan at Kissinger, no arrests have been made. They have all been in relation to [Strike Force] Pearl offences. But as Krissy says, the investigation is ongoing.
Asked why they were able to go public with this information when they still hadn’t arrested anyone, he said:
The caravan job, as I indicated, was orchestrated by the same individual or individuals that were orchestrating the Pearl incidents [that is, the antisemitic incidents], which is why we put them under one detective superintendent, so that there was no potential for isolation of evidence under Pearl that might have been relevant to Kissinger and vice versa.
AFP deputy commissioner: person behind fake terror plot ‘known to organised crime’
Asked aboutthe alleged motivation for fabrication of the terror plot, Barrett refused to respond on the specifics, but said:
We have this scenario going along a lot of the time, it can include leveraging the exchange of information to law enforcement, some sort of personal gain, mostly around sentence reduction and the like.
The person they allege “is pulling the strings” is “known to organised crime, known in the organised crime environment”, Barrett said.
AFP working with law enforcement agencies overseas to pursue those responsible
Barrett said “a number of people” had been identified as part of the fake terrorism plot and the AFP was also working with law enforcement agencies overseas in order to pursue those responsible.
She continued:
Regardless of the motivation of those responsible for this fake plot, it has had a chilling effect on the Jewish community. This twisted self-serving criminality has terrorised Australians. What organised crime has done to the Jewish community is reprehensible, and it won’t go without consequences.
There was also unwarranted suspicion directed at other communities, and that is also reprehensible.
AFP ‘confident these tip-offs were fabricated’
Barrett said the joint investigation had considered giving the information to the public earlier but as they had continued to receive tip-offs “about other terror plots related to this matter … out of an abundance of caution it was agreed by all agencies the operation would remain in the joint counter-terrorism team”.
Barrett continued:
While we were confident these were fake, we could not risk ignoring the information provided and we kept investigating at highest level.
We are now confident these tip-offs were fabricated and the caravan plot was an elaborate scheme contrived by organised criminals domestically and from offshore. There were several people who had different levels of involvement in this fake terrorism plot, but put simply the plan was the following: Organise someone to buy a caravan, place it with explosives and written material of antisemitic nature, leave it in a specific location and then once that happened, inform law enforcement about an impending terror attacks against Jewish Australians.
We believe the person pulling the strings wanted changes to their criminal status but maintained a distance from their scheme and hired alleged local criminals to carry out parts of their plan.