The inability of ALP to properly administer is highlighted by the recent floods.
Because the ALP are captured by special interest groups without any responsibility to the wider community, they make decisions that occasionally hurt everyone (even kill some).
The floods in Southeast Queensland and Northern NSW are a good example of this systemic failure.
Dams were supposed to have been built to allow for growth in regional development so that new people would have running water. However, working on the mantra that dams are 'bad for the environment' they weren't built. Now we have floods and billions of dollars of property loss.
Sunday, January 06, 2008
Floods Highlight Mismanagement
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Rising floods 'worst in 20 years'
from news.com.au
EMERGENCY services are urging southeast Queensland residents to take precautions ahead of rising floodwaters described as the worst in some areas for 20 years.
While much of the rain brought on by the massive low pressure system has abated, rivers and waterways across the region are continuing to rise, with most expected to peak either today or tomorrow.
Flood warnings issued for QLD rivers
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued major flood warnings for the Logan and Albert rivers, south of Brisbane, and the Condamine River system near Warwick in southern Queensland.
The weather bureau says the Logan River has risen 12m at Yarrahappini, while it has risen 10m at Maclean Bridge and is expected to rise another 5m by tonight.
More than 240mm of rain has fallen in some areas on the Gold Coast hinterland, which feeds the Albert and Logan river systems.
The Condamine River is expected to rise to 6.5m at Warwick late this afternoon, with a second peak expected later tonight.
Music festival revellers trapped
Meanwhile, several hundred people attending a music festival in northern NSW are expected to be trapped for days by rising floodwaters.
As the impact of Friday night's torrential rain flows downstream, numerous towns and villages are being isolated, State Emergency Service spokesman Phil Campbell said.
"At a techno music festival about 40km out of Tenterfield at a place called Boonoo Boonoo there are about 600 or 700 people there who can't get out,'' Mr Campbell said.
"The stream there is normally 10 metres wide and is (now) more than 100 metres wide and is well above the roads in and out.
"We expect those people will be isolated for at least several days.
"We can't take them out by helicopter because all their hundreds of cars are still there.
"There will be a lot of head scratching today about how to effect (their removal) but in the meantime we will just make sure we can supply them with food and any necessary medication.''
Massive floods predicted in NSW
More rain and thunderstorms are forecast for parts of northern NSW this afternoon when massive floods not seen in 50 years are expected to isolate the small town of Coraki at the junction of the Tweed and Richmond rivers.
But, Bureau of Meteorology meteorologist Michael Logan said the worst had passed for residents in the region.
''(This afternoon's rains) won't be as widespread in their nature as what that rainfall was two nights ago that was unbelievably torrential,'' Mr Logan said.
"The flood that they had at Kyogle and also at Casino - it's the second largest that they've had in history and it's the largest flood in that area since about, I think 1954 was the year - so we are talking about a very major event.''
The Bureau maintains flood warnings for the Tweed, Richmond, Wilsons, Bellinger, Orara, Bogan, Warrego and Paroo rivers.
NSW Emergency Services Minister Nathan Rees declared the Tweed and Kyogle local government areas natural disaster zones on a visit to the region yesterday, and is considering natural disaster declarations for the Richmond Valley and Lismore if more rain falls in those areas.
Floodwaters are forecast to reach 6.9m at Coraki tonight, completely isolating the town, Mr Campbell said.
"Once the flood goes through Coraki, it will go through a whole string of little communities in that region but I don't think we're going to have any real problems in any of those small towns,'' he said.
The SES has responded to more than 1000 calls for assistance in the past three days and Mr Campbell said the current focus was the resupply of food, clean drinking water and medication.
- With AAP
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