Tropical Cyclone Alfred: the statistics behind Council’s preparation and response

As recovery work continues in the aftermath of Tropical Cyclone Alfred, Redland City Council has taken stock of the phenomenal community effort to prepare Redlands Coast in the face of disaster.

Redland City Mayor and Local Disaster Management Group (LDMG) chair Jos Mitchell described the efforts immediately before, during and after the cyclone event, as a “whole-of-city effort”.

“The cyclone tested our preparedness, but it also highlighted the resilience and close-knit spirit of our communities,” the Mayor said.

“The diligent preparation made by residents ultimately helped keep everyone safe.”

A report was presented at yesterday’s Council General Meeting that detailed the huge amount of work carried out from Tuesday 25 February through to Sunday 16 March 2025 inclusively.

The Mayor said the LDMG was responsible for coordinating the multi-agency disaster response and recovery activities as well as supporting the local area through the event.

Council administers the LDMG and is responsible for the functioning of the group and delivery of response and recovery services to the community.

“Through the LDMG, Council worked collaboratively with at least 47 agencies and external bodies in the lead up to, during and post the event,” the Mayor said.

“These included agencies such as: Queensland Fire Department, Queensland Police Service (QPS), and the State Emergency Services (SES) who brought in crews from Northern Territory, Western Australia and South Australia.

“Additional support was received from Australian Defence Force personnel and volunteers from Disaster Relief Australia to supplement Council’s operational capacity for response and recovery activities on the mainland and the islands.

“The Local Government Association of Queensland also flew in staff from Townsville City Council, Mackay Regional Council and Douglas Shire Council to assist.

“There were also innumerable community volunteers who came together to assist Council’s work and help our community members during this event.”

Tropical Cyclone Alfred as it began its slow approach to the south-east Queensland coastline.

The slow approach of TC Alfred allowed for potential impacts from storm surge on low lying coastal areas to be estimated, mapped and shared via social media and Redlands Coast Disaster Dashboard, so the community could inform themselves and get ready.

With the help of QPS, all properties identified as impacted by storm surge at 0.5 m above the highest astronomical tide line were door-knocked to advise of the risk of storm surge and potential flooding.

By the numbers:

More than 155,000 sandbags and 1200 tonnes of sand were distributed to the community from eight locationsSES volunteers responded to approximately 1200 jobs during the eventEnergex reported in excess of 41,000 customers without power – more than 9000 of these were isolated island communitiesThe Lesley Harrison Dam spilled after it exceeded 100 per cent capacity, peaking at 187.6 per centSix places of refuge were opened by Council to provide shelter to community members who were unable to shelter in place safely. They were used by 47 residentsFive day drop-in centres were opened by Council. These had charging points available for residents without powerApproximately 10,000 customers (double the usual visitation levels) visited mainland Council libraries between 10 to 12 March78 locally controlled roads were closed across the city between 7 and 10 March due to dangerous conditions such as flooding, fallen trees and fallen power linesCouncil inspected more than 3000 assets to assess their condition and safety, including roads, roadsides, school car parks, footbridges/boardwalks, and all ferry/barge facilities and rampsApproximately 2000 assets required some works such as cleaning debris, minor repairs and fixing potholesTo manage additional waste, Council opened excess food waste drop-off sites, green waste drop-off sites, extended Recycling and Waste Centre opening times, and launched a kerbside green waste collectionAt its peak on Wednesday 12 March, Council’s Integrated Customer Contact Centre took 623 calls119 Redlands Coast Alerts (including community alerts, closed roads and weather alerts) prepared and distributed via text and/or email by Council; plus two Emergency Alerts distributed from the State Disaster Coordination Centre14 Australian Warning System messages issued34 media releases and 167 social media posts (Facebook) issuedRedlands Coast Disaster Dashboard received 429,254 total views, with 124,315 active users, while the Redlands Disaster Plan received 82,280 views, with 35,229 active usersCouncil’s website and key pages were viewed 225,875 times by more than 78,000 active usersRedlands Coast Today website received 294,195 views initiated by more than 176,000 active usersCouncil’s social media (Facebook) posts resulted in more than 3.4 million impressionsOf the city’s seven wastewater treatment plants, six remained operational, with the Capalaba plant temporarily offline due to pipework damageSewer networks and manhole overflows totalled 138, with 100 clean ups completed as of 16 MarchTo date, more than one-third of Council’s workforce has been involved in preparedness and response to the event, with the recovery phase continuing

Deputy Mayor and Disaster Recovery Group chair Julie Talty said ongoing recovery work also revealed the pertinency of the advocacy work Council has been doing in the lead up to the 2025 Australian Federal Election.

“Council is advocating for $10 million towards a purpose-built dedicated disaster coordination centre; $2 million for flood warning infrastructure and rainfall and creek gauge networks; and funding for assessments and upgrades to improve the wind resistance of our city’s buildings,” she said.

“These points encompassed one of eight advocacy priorities that were established before Tropical Cyclone Alfred and consequently takes on even more urgency.”

As part of the recovery phase, a Redland Business Recovery web page has been set up to provide useful information for local businesses. Go to redland.qld.gov.au/recovery

Mayor Mitchell said it “genuinely has been heartening to see everyone come together to help our city and our residents get back on their feet”.

“I want to say thank you to all those people who are helping in so many ways, big and small,” the Mayor said.

A tree brought down powerlines in Langdon Street, Cleveland.

At yesterday’s General Meeting, Council resolved to:

note Council’s preparedness and response to the Tropical Cyclone Alfred eventendorse continued advocacy to the Commonwealth and Queensland governments for ongoing support during the recovery phasepublicly thank partner agencies, Council staff and volunteers for providing support to the Redlands Coast community before, during and after the eventand to bring a report for consideration to the April 2025 General Meeting relating to Council’s recovery approach to the event.