Disaster Management

2011 Floods and Cyclone YASI

The urban water industry’s response to the emergencies early in 2011 was exemplary and demonstrated the resilience and strength of a regionally-networked local government water industry. qldwater and the Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) commended the achievements of Queensland water service providers who have excelled in their recovery efforts following traumatic flooding and cyclone Yasi.

qldwater executive committee chairman David Wiskar said service providers in Queensland’s flood and cyclone-affected areas demonstrated effective pre-disaster plans, local knowledge and community commitment and helped to limit water infrastructure damage and expedited recovery efforts – with most communities resuming water services within days of the devastating events. “The staff worked tirelessly, immediately initiating their disaster management plans and establishing emergency communication networks to ensure the safety of their communities. The outcome was certainly a remarkable achievement and a credit to the men and women who work together to provide us our most valuable resource, our water.

LGAQ Chief Executive Officer Greg Hallam said there was no doubt the challenges delivered by nature were met with dedication and determination.

“When nature delivers such a blow, no-one sits and watches from the sidelines,” Mr Hallam said. “Everyone is passionate about getting their communities back to normal as soon as possible and we’ve all seen that dedication put into action since the floods and Yasi."