Scenic Rim Regional Council has not released information about places of refuge if ratepayers need to evacuate during the predicted cyclone impact across the region.
The Beaudesert Times requested that information on 5 March but did not receive an answer.
Cr Steve Moriarty, who heads the Local Disaster Management Group for Scenic Rim posted a video on Council’s website explaining why.
“Council has a number of places of refuge in our region,” he said.
“These will be activated by our community volunteers and ready to go if and when needed. We’re not at liberty at this stage to advise exactly where those places are. The reason for this is quite simple. If the cyclone … comes through and destroys a place of refuge, it’s no longer a place of refuge, it’s not a safe place for you to go.”
Cr Moriarty said advice would be given during the event.
“If comms are intact and places of refuge have activated, that information will be on Council’s Disaster Dashboard,” he said.
“If there’s no commes, if the power goes down and we don’t have communication our first responders, the Queensland Police Service and SES, they will get around the community doorknocking and let people know as quickly as possible … where they need to go if they need a place of refuge.”
Meanwhile resident continue with a last ditch effort to prepare for the cyclone’s impact with thousands of sandbags collected at local SES posts.
Cr Amanda Hay said she had helped locals fill sandbags on Tamborine Mountain on Wednesday, 5 March and was heartened by the level of cooperation and consideration between community members.
“I asked people who were filling sandbags to fill a few extra to leave behind for the elderly or people who were less able to shovel sand,” she said.
‘They were happy to do that and we ended up with extra filled bags to hand out when needed.”
Cr Moriarty said Council had worked hard in preparation for disaster.
“We’ll be prepared as much as we can to support our communities during this event,” he said.
“The Queensland Police Service have increased staffing across the region, the mobile police beat has been placed at the IGA on Tamborine Mountain … doorknocking has commenced in key locations and areas of concern.”
Cr Moriarty said Council had also proactively cleared some drainage networks and strategically placed heavy machinery in some locations in preparation for recovery works.
“Our works teams have ensured that capital and operational work sites have all the appropriate safety measures in place,” he said.
