As the water recedes and the clean up continues, the focus is switching to what went wrong with Council’s response to the 2022 flood disaster.
Yes the floods are a natural disaster but many residents say they had little to no warning to evacuated and move their belongings to higher ground.
Some Brisbane residents didn’t receive their first flood warning text from Council until Sunday evening (27 February 2022), with some not getting it until Monday morning.
By this time the floods were almost peaking and thousands of homes were already inundated.
In comparison, the neighbouring Moreton Bay Regional Council sent their first flood warning texts on Friday afternoon (25 February 2022).
“I have been told hundreds of stories where people didn’t get their text messages until after their house was flooded.” – Brisbane Weather Facebook Page.
“A friend’s house went under and they have lost heaps, they didn’t get the evacuation text until 6 hours after their house went under!”
Brisbane City Council Opposition Leader Jared Cassidy has echoed residents’ concerns.
“Residents are furious and they deserve to be, this LNP administration has failed them on
multiple fronts and it’s cost them dearly,” Cr Cassidy said.
“To send out the first flood warning text more than 48 hours after other councils in the
same region is simply unacceptable.”
