Council provides more than 735 tonnes of sand for Cyclone Alfred

Lockyer Valley residents have had access to more than 735 tonnes of sand to prepare themselves and businesses for Tropical Cyclone Alfred.

Deputy-Chair of the Local Disaster Management Group, Cr Michael Hagan said this emphasised Council’s commitment to preparing the community for this weather event.

“More than 735 tonnes of sand and almost 14,000 empty sandbags were delivered to six sites, including the Forest Hill Recreation Reserve, Gatton Showgrounds, Glenore Grove Park, Grantham, Laidley and Withcott since last Tuesday.

“Ensuring Council, SES volunteers and homeowners have access to sandbags during a natural disaster boosts everyone’s ability to respond in an emergency.

“However, we actively encourage residents to make plans to protect their properties year-round,” he said.

Council’s Local Disaster Coordination Centre (LDCC) operated on a 24-hour basis since TC Alfred moved off the South East Queensland coast.

“Our LDCC operated with two, 12-hour shifts across most areas of disaster operation.

“As of yesterday morning, our staff have clocked up more than 1200 hours over this disaster operation.

“Our staff take these weather events in their stride and continue to work as a team on a 24-hour basis to best serve and support our community, with many of our staff isolated away from home or working remotely to ensure the communities’ safety is the priority.

“In the meantime, we continue to encourage the community to monitor ongoing road closures and recovery messages at Council’s Disaster Dashboard, website and Facebook page.

“These sources really are the best place to find the most up-to-date information on recovery support,” Cr Hagan said.

For more information, visit www.lockyervalley.qld.gov.au.