A review of Brisbane’s response to Tropical Cyclone Alfred is set to be conducted by highly-respected former Governor and Supreme Court chief Justice Paul de Jersey.
Mr de Jersey (pictured) completed the 2022 Brisbane Flood Review which resulted in 37 recommendations, all of which have been completed or actioned.
The 2025 review will assess the effectiveness of 2022 recommendations and how Brisbane City Council responded to the extraordinary weather event.
“Our Council helped residents prepare by distributing an extraordinary 469,000 sandbags, publishing timely advice about flood risks and opening shelters and evacuation centres when required,” said Brisbane Lord Mayor, Adrian Schrinner.
“Mr De Jersey is an extraordinary Queenslander, and I want to thank him for agreeing to review how his previous recommendations performed during this extraordinary weather event.
“In particular, the Voluntary Home Buy Back program introduced after 2022 has proved incredibly successful in Brisbane and is something I want to see the Federal and State governments support again now.
“While Brisbane being threatened by cyclones is very rare, reviewing how we prepare for severe weather events is very important. We can’t prevent flooding in Brisbane, but being prepared makes a big difference.”
The 2022 Brisbane Flood Review included a recommendation to reinstate the voluntary home purchase scheme in collaboration with the State and Federal governments.
Following the review, the Council successfully advocated for a new scheme funded by the State and Federal governments.
Of the 293 Brisbane properties purchased through this scheme, early indications show 189 would have been impacted during the recent weather event, demonstrating the success of the scheme.
Lord Mayor Schrinner has written to Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese and Premier, David Crisafulli about Federal and State support for the continuation of the effective Voluntary Home Buy Back program.
Written submissions will remain open until 14 April. Mr De Jersey’s report will be made publicly available.
