nabraxas Posted January 9, 2011 Anyone been affected? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
IceCube Posted January 10, 2011 I live in a town near Rockhampton (Gracemere) but have not been personally affected much, apart from not being able to get into town (bored shitless and 15 min drive to get food, nothing too major). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nabraxas Posted January 10, 2011 cool, glad no-one seems to be suffering. i wonder how things are going at Wandjina gardens. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
_e_ Posted January 10, 2011 (edited) things are very wet here, in northern nsw, but for the most part its not too different to how its been for many months now. I am lucky enough to liver at relatively high altitude, as is torsten. I'm not so sure how it is down lower, but i dont expect to be able to get too far in any direction for a couple of days. The question is, how long will it keep up, and what will be the progressive damage to roads and infrastrucutre. Also- im guessing there are a lot of food crops sufferring as a result. I have just read that our mango and tea season is a complete write off. My thoughts are with those most severly effected, in and around towoomba and SEQ. some of the footage im seeing this morning is pretty freaky! stay safe friends.. ride the storm. Edited January 10, 2011 by _e_ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tripsis Posted January 10, 2011 I've only heard about the floods at Toowoomba, not seen anything on it, but it sounds terrible. It's hard to believe just how much of QLD and NNSW must be flooding. Lismore is surely under by now? I hope that no one here sustains any losses. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hutch Posted January 11, 2011 It's one hell of a shocker alright. I have been stuck since the 20th of Dec but we are lucky cause we are high and dry. I used to live in Withcott at the foot of the Toowoomba range and apparently my old house went under and the people are missing. My old business was flattened as well opposite Repco in Toowoomba. Pray for those 72 people still missing...the real issue will be food shortages with panic buying already underway in Bundaberg. My friend just called from Laidley and they have water running through their house...fucking tragedy unfolding...look out Brisbane...74 floods are on there way. Hope every one is alright 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Magicdirt Posted January 11, 2011 I have family near Dalby and they've been trapped for a while. They're getting short on food and fuel is running low, so when the roads re open they could be up shit creek anyway because they won't be able to get anywhere to get food or fuel, that's if the roads still exist. IMO This is the biggest disaster this country has ever seen, an area larger than NSW has been flooded. To put that into perspective for non Australians, that's an area larger than France and Germany combined. We're starting to see why Australias' indigenous population was to a large extent nomadic, given Australias relatively low average elevation above sea level and generally flat topographical features floods can cause massive carnage. Combined with the fact that water is almost non existent for long periods, staying in one place just doesn't seem to make a lot of sense in many areas. If you put down roots Australia can take them back off you overnight. Surely the indigenous population has encountered this many times in its 40 000 year (some say 80 000) history and maybe their psyche has evolved to deal with things like this by not putting down roots ? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
J Smith Posted January 11, 2011 Have any members had their gardens destroyed? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hutch Posted January 11, 2011 Have any members had their gardens destroyed? I have lost 4 babies to water logging....can't say publicly what they were but they are done for now....I should have kept them in their pots for a few weeks longer 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sethomopod Posted January 11, 2011 I'm freaking a little bit... My wife and 2 1/2 yr old son are in Brisbane right now and I'm here in Vietnam completely unable to help... My wife went back to Oz to give birth to our second son... She is nearly 8 months pregnant.. She has no car there (not that it's safe to drive) and last I heard, she was pretty well cut off..... Such tragedy.. such carnage.... All those poor people who have died..... And the ones that are missing... certainly a dark period..... Strange how media coverage works... Here in Vietnam, about a month ago, there was terrible flooding.. around 8 people died per day for over a week....people were just being washed away... Yet I saw nothing on any internet news sites... This was our nursery when the water actually went down a little.. most of the saplings were completey submerged... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hutch Posted January 11, 2011 I'm freaking a little bit... My wife and 2 1/2 yr old son are in Brisbane right now and I'm here in Vietnam completely unable to help... My wife went back to Oz to give birth to our second son... She is nearly 8 months pregnant.. She has no car there (not that it's safe to drive) and last I heard, she was pretty well cut off..... Such tragedy.. such carnage.... All those poor people who have died..... And the ones that are missing... certainly a dark period..... Strange how media coverage works... Here in Vietnam, about a month ago, there was terrible flooding.. around 8 people died per day for over a week....people were just being washed away... Yet I saw nothing on any internet news sites... This was our nursery when the water actually went down a little.. most of the saplings were completey submerged... Fuck mate....I'm praying all is alright for you....maybe we have some members in brissie that may be able to help....maybe she should call for evacuation now rather than later in her condition... Please let us know how things go.......Good luck with the new bub... What was in the nursery? Hutch 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Torsten Posted January 11, 2011 Wandjina is fine, thanks for asking. we get cut off from the outside world easily, but that can be a good thing ;). Probably the greatest risk on our property would by mudlides. the last two la nina years caused pretty big slumps where an acre or so of forest simply slides down the hill or curls up on itself. but that wouldn't be near the house or nursery. as for the brisbane flooding, I get really pissed off with the way the media portrays EVERYTHING as a tragedy. yes, the flashflood in the lockyer valley was pretty well unpredictable and the carnage there is a real disaster, but most flood deaths are from pure stupidity. The vast majority of flood deaths are not from people getting taken by surprise or from people who prepared themselves, but simply from people who stupidly drive into raging floodwaters or walk through them for no life threatening necessity. I am so glad that the police in qld are now finally prosecuting this stupidity as it not only endangers the idiot's lives, but also those of emergency workers. The other thing that bugs me is when I hear phrases like "if you got flooded in 1974 then you have to get out now". Well geez, maybe these properties should have been abandoned in 1974 as it is obvious they were not built in an area where it is safe to build. These floods aren't freak events. La nina floods happen every 7 years or so and a major flood happens every 30-40 years. Whether the major flood is 5% higher or not is a pointless discussion as that is just natural variability. The floods in brisbane are a normal event that happens every 30 years or so. How can anyone complain about them? Makes no sense to me. They are not a surprise. If you buy in a 'one in 30 year' flood zone then you should expect a flood every 30 years. The insurance companies know this, so if you can't get insurance for your house then maybe you bougth the wrong house. Oh but I guess I forget the fact that river views are much more important This is for the most part not a natural disaster it is a man-made disaster. It is born out of arrogance and ignorance about the natural world. My partner has been watching the news all day. he is rivetted to this flood drama. So tonight I asked him how many people died from the floods in brazil and philippines and he didn't even know they had floods. The 3 news channels he's been surfing did not make a single mention of the 150 people that died in the Philippines and the tens of thousands that have been displaced in Brazil. Obviously stupidity and poor choices are not behind every story. I truely feel for those who are affected by this drama not by their own choice. It's a sad fact that land is allocated for low income or high density housing in areas more prone to natural disasters, such as flood plains. Most of these people don't have choices or didn't know that they are making a bad choice. The responsibility for these failures lies with local governments who release unsuitable land for development. The fact that we have built on large tracts of the most fertile land available [which is usually in flood plains] is a serious long term planning failure and every few years we get reminded of that. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hutch Posted January 11, 2011 Wandjina is fine, thanks for asking. we get cut off from the outside world easily, but that can be a good thing ;). Probably the greatest risk on our property would by mudlides. the last two la nina years caused pretty big slumps where an acre or so of forest simply slides down the hill or curls up on itself. but that wouldn't be near the house or nursery. as for the brisbane flooding, I get really pissed off with the way the media portrays EVERYTHING as a tragedy. yes, the flashflood in the lockyer valley was pretty well unpredictable and the carnage there is a real disaster, but most flood deaths are from pure stupidity. The vast majority of flood deaths are not from people getting taken by surprise or from people who prepared themselves, but simply from people who stupidly drive into raging floodwaters or walk through them for no life threatening necessity. I am so glad that the police in qld are now finally prosecuting this stupidity as it not only endangers the idiot's lives, but also those of emergency workers. The other thing that bugs me is when I hear phrases like "if you got flooded in 1974 then you have to get out now". Well geez, maybe these properties should have been abandoned in 1974 as it is obvious they were not built in an area where it is safe to build. These floods aren't freak events. La nina floods happen every 7 years or so and a major flood happens every 30-40 years. Whether the major flood is 5% higher or not is a pointless discussion as that is just natural variability. The floods in brisbane are a normal event that happens every 30 years or so. How can anyone complain about them? Makes no sense to me. They are not a surprise. If you buy in a 'one in 30 year' flood zone then you should expect a flood every 30 years. The insurance companies know this, so if you can't get insurance for your house then maybe you bougth the wrong house. Oh but I guess I forget the fact that river views are much more important This is for the most part not a natural disaster it is a man-made disaster. It is born out of arrogance and ignorance about the natural world. My partner has been watching the news all day. he is rivetted to this flood drama. So tonight I asked him how many people died from the floods in brazil and philippines and he didn't even know they had floods. The 3 news channels he's been surfing did not make a single mention of the 150 people that died in the Philippines and the tens of thousands that have been displaced in Brazil. Obviously stupidity and poor choices are not behind every story. I truely feel for those who are affected by this drama not by their own choice. It's a sad fact that land is allocated for low income or high density housing in areas more prone to natural disasters, such as flood plains. Most of these people don't have choices or didn't know that they are making a bad choice. The responsibility for these failures lies with local governments who release unsuitable land for development. The fact that we have built on large tracts of the most fertile land available [which is usually in flood plains] is a serious long term planning failure and every few years we get reminded of that. Totally agree but wasn't game enough to say anything....been coping a flogging lately..... 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
∂an Posted January 11, 2011 I was forced to buy white bread instead of whole grain today! lets hope the bruce highway opens soon so I can start driving down to Rainbow Serpent! on a serious note, condolences to those seriously effected. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hebrew Posted January 12, 2011 i agree totally with your comments Torsten. kalika at least you could get bread. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
OpticalLight Posted January 12, 2011 I have an empty boot if ppl on the southside of Brisbane need to move stuff. I'll be driving to the RBH to drop my mum off tonight cas they need staff so I can't avoid driving anyway. PM me. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dreamscape Posted January 12, 2011 $8 million on the failed AUS bid for the soccer world cup, $4 million from the AUS government to convince Oprah to come over, $3 million for tiger woods to come here and play the PGA to win yet more money and $4.2 billion in foreign aid and the first thing the pollies ask after a disaster is where the money is going to come from... Really? They keep going on about "natural disaster" but its simply nature and is to be expected; we live in Australia and should be aware that it is a country of extremes. As for the flooding though got heaps of photos of Toowoong today after we went to the pub [R.E] - there is pics on the wall there of the 1974 floods up to the second floor but it was nowhere near that today, but we'll see what tomorrow's King tide brings... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
synchromesh Posted January 12, 2011 Yesterday, George Negus asked the PM how the government was planning on rebuilding Queensland. And of course, as expected, she just responded with comments about the donations they'd received from citizens, and on how the "Australian Spirit" is still alive. God, calling this government greedy is a fucking understatement! Does anyone know much about the victims of the Victoria bushfires? Most of them are still living in caravans, aren't they? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hutch Posted January 12, 2011 Yesterday, George Negus asked the PM how the government was planning on rebuilding Queensland. And of course, as expected, she just responded with comments about the donations they'd received from citizens, and on how the "Australian Spirit" is still alive. God, calling this government greedy is a fucking understatement! Does anyone know much about the victims of the Victoria bushfires? Most of them are still living in caravans, aren't they? I think it was today he asked her about the publics concern about how much we squander on foreign aid...she looked uncomfortable at best and as per usual she didn't answer the question but she wasn't pushed all our highways are third world but we are building 550 schools in Indonesia....something is wrong with our thinking here.....surely! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sethomopod Posted January 12, 2011 Fuck mate....I'm praying all is alright for you....maybe we have some members in brissie that may be able to help....maybe she should call for evacuation now rather than later in her condition... Please let us know how things go.......Good luck with the new bub... What was in the nursery? Hutch Thanks for your thoughts mate... I sincerely appreciate them... My wife and boy are thankfully OK... her sister was able to get her to my late Grandma's house which is in upper Mt Gravatt.. nice and high.... she is fine, although worried about her Mum in Karalee... They are grafted Mango saplings in the nursery... the R2E2 variety....... I have an empty boot if ppl on the southside of Brisbane need to move stuff. I'll be driving to the RBH to drop my mum off tonight cas they need staff so I can't avoid driving anyway. PM me. I want to publicly thank you Hairpie... Your offer of helping my wife and son (via PM) has touched me and made me remember why I love this community and the people in it... You're a wonderful soul!!!! On another note..... I really dont think that ALL people who die in a flood is a result of stupidity..... There are a plethora of reasons... Saying it's stupidity, then saying it is a real tragedy, undermines the value of human life...Nobody here is omniscient... Nobody can just lump the deaths into acts of stupidity.... Would anyone say that to the face of a family member who has just lost someone???? That their loved one didnt deserve to live because they are considered "stupid"??? Yes people do stupid things....But stupidity shouldn't be a reason to devalue a human life... Also... what someone calls stupidity, could be a result of socioeconomic reasons.. Is a poor person with a lack of education worth less than someone with education??? I really dont think it is a black and white situation....... My thoughts go out to the dead and their families..... 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shortly Posted January 12, 2011 Anyone been affected? I've lost a few trays of seedlings & few cacti that just couldn't stand being sodden for so long but very little really. Torsten is dead right!!! it must be close to half of the properties that will be affected by these floods have been built since the 74 floods, why the F##k councils & state gov let developers build on flood plains has me stuffed. The gov enjoys the fees the developer makes a tidy profit & the public get asked to pay to clean up the mess when the inevitable happens. Don't get me wrong, the people who's lives are shattered by these events deserve our help & support, i just don't think they should have been allowed to live where they were in the first place. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
OpticalLight Posted January 12, 2011 no wurries sethomopod, these are crazy times ay Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hutch Posted January 12, 2011 no wurries sethomopod, these are crazy times ay Good stuff mate....we do have some community here....well I think so anyway...you get the gold star of the week 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Torsten Posted January 12, 2011 I really dont think that ALL people who die in a flood is a result of stupidity..... There are a plethora of reasons... Yes, there is a plethora of reasons, which is why I did not say that all of them are due to stupidity. However, at least 4 of the 10 deaths were caused by people doing one of two things which are ALWAYS stupid. Even the dumbass channel 10 news constantly reminds people not to drive into flowing flood waters, so there is simply no excuse [other than maybe language barrier]. The other cause is people going swimming in flood waters. Saying it's stupidity, then saying it is a real tragedy, undermines the value of human life. I am a firm believer in the process of natural selection. Sadly most of these idiots manage to breed beforehand. Would anyone say that to the face of a family member who has just lost someone???? That their loved one didnt deserve to live because they are considered "stupid"??? If someone dies while tempting fate [eg base jumping, erotic strangulation, etc] then this is a risk they knowingly took, so why should others value that persons life more than he did? That doesn't mean it isn't a tragedy for the family. I would reserve my sympathy for the family left behind by the idiot rather than the idiot himself. So no, you don't go up to the family and tell them he didn't deserve to live, but I think most families would also realise that the death was that person's own fault and hence wouldn't expect too much sympathy. what someone calls stupidity, could be a result of socioeconomic reasons.. Is a poor person with a lack of education worth less than someone with education??? I really dont think it is a black and white situation....... Like I said above, even the lowest socioeconomic level would be aware of the dangers of the two scenarios I previously stated. It is mentioned in every news item in every weather warning, and in every type of media. Two survivors of such stupidity were sown in the media and they were both well spoken and probably fairly well educated, and had nice cars. That argument simply doesn't wash. The reason why this pisses me off so much is because there are sensible people who were true victims of circumstance and really needed help and couldn't get it because the emergency services were tied up with saving idiots. here's a hypothetical questions for you. SES gets 4 calls - what order should they attend them in? 1) a car got washed off a flooded causeway even though the floodmarkers clearly showed the water was over 1m deep. 2) a car got washed into a creek by a flashflood that surprised the driver 3) a person fell into the water while the family was making the earliest possible evacuation [by boat] 4) a person got washed away while going for a swim in an already flooded creek The reason I ask this is because these 4 scenarios happened in the last few days and in some cases there was no emergency volunteers to attend to the case in time. Lives were lost because of a shortage of trained volunteers. You said above that we shouldn't devalue a life because of idiocy, but I contend that the idiot has already devalued life by his actions. He has devalued his own life, the life of the volunteers who have to risk theirs to save him, and he has devalued the life of the people who can't be saved because the voluteers are busy rescueing idiots. There are many tragic stories in this flood and no doubt many more to come, but people who recklessly put themselves and others in harms way don't deserve our sympathy. if they survive they deserve to be prosecuted and if they don't then at least they won't do it again. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Torsten Posted January 12, 2011 Just a comment about foreign aid... it's not actually a lot of cash leaving the country. Essentially about 90% of overseas aid money stays in australia. It's an interesting way to reduce unemployment and to increase production. The way it works is that rather than sending the overseas country money we send them items such as buildings - prefabricated in australia and installed by australians on an australian payroll. So while the goods end up in another country, most of the value actually remains in australia. Australia is already pretty pathetic with foreign aid, so lets not complain about the measly amounts we give. Most of it goes to our neighbours which is good for trade and to reduce migration to australia. There are plenty of other sources of money that are far bigger waste. Like the way we literally give away our national wealth to multinational companies who take all the value out of the country. Or the way the government pays for services which are often provided by overseas owned companies. The amount of aid we give is a drop in the ocean in comparison to the money we squander on big business. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
