Call for reformation swamps first round of flood hearings
As the 30 days of public hearing in eight locations ended today, Premier Anna Bligh argued that investing $15 million in an implementation to review and extract any lessons from the disaster that ravaged over Queensland is one of the best ways to honor the 35 victims.
ABC News accounted that Commissioner Justice Catherine Holmes rarely intervened in the hearings, but finally commented on the Wivenhoe Dam manual. She saw “a mess” which she confirmed with the dam engineer during the trial.
The commission has sought independent advice on the manual, in the company of experts agreeing there is room to refine the calculations.
Inserting a new strategy − that would allow a bigger window of time for dam releases in order to reduce the impact and size of the flooding − and recommendation on pre-emptive dam releases were the ones included.
Furthermore, the commission is likely to endorse changes to emergency communications. This after learning through the hearings that the training for triple-zero operators in the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service was more extensive than for police.
Sources show that the under-resourced QFRS swift water rescuers and members of the State Emergency Service (SES) are down to a handful of ageing members in some small towns.
Suggestions included the emergency alert system that came out of the Victorian bushfires inquiry might also be adjusted too.
In a report the Sydney Morning Herald said, Justice Holmes will now consider the mass of evidence and report on matters that could better prepare Queensland for next summer on August 1.
A second round of hearings into the remaining issues in its terms of reference - land zoning and insurance issues will be held in the fourth quarter of this year.