Now's the time to prepare for wet Spring, Summer

Moreton Bay Region residents are urged to start preparing their properties for spring and summer, which are expected to be wetter than average.

The plea follows yesterday’s announcement from the Bureau of Meteorology that two weather phenomena – the Indian Ocean Dipole and La Nina – were likely to bring above average rainfall in the next six months.

Mayor Peter Flannery says while long-range forecasting can be inaccurate, people should not be complacent.

“News that we could be in for a wet spring and summer is the last thing we want after the start we had this year, but it’s a timely reminder to get prepared early,” he says.

“If the worst was to happen, would you be prepared?”

Mayor Flannery encourages residents to know their risks, have a “What if Plan” and be resilient, saying signing up for Moreton Alert and working through the Council property preparation checklist are a good place to start.

Council is continuing to tackle the restoration, repair and resupply of stocks following flooding across the region earlier in the year.

“I urge locals to do the same now, while the weather is good and before we all get busy with things like Christmas or the September school holidays.

“While we can’t prevent disasters and storms in Moreton Bay, we can prepare for them to minimise the impacts on our community.

“Clean up the backyard, have a chat with your household about how to prepare, check on your insurance, and most importantly, make sure you’re getting the latest information and severe weather warnings by signing up to MoretonAlert.”

Maintaining drains

In the past six months Council has repaired more than 10,000 potholes and carried out significant patching to reduce the likelihood of the potholes reforming.

“We are taking advantage of the drier weather, with these major patching works continuing over the coming months,” Mayor Flannery says.

In-ground pipe inspections have been increased to ensure pipes connected to storm drains flow freely and are clear of blockages from silt build-up or tree roots.

“As soon as a severe weather forecast is issued, we automatically check our storm drains 24-48 hours before the weather hits to make sure they are serviceable and clear,” Mayor Flannery says.

“Where storm drains were overwhelmed earlier this year, that was due to the truly exceptional magnitude of the event, with flow volumes many times larger than the design capacity of the storm water infrastructure.”

Resources restocked

Sandbag supplies have been replenished since the last floods, with more than 105,000 available and another 60,000 to arrive in coming months and sand stock has increased by 1000 tonnes since March.

“Our sandbags are reusable, so we need residents to re-use the bags from the last event, which can be done if they are stored correctly,” Mayor Flannery says.

“This not only means locals are ready to go with their own sandbags at home, it also cuts down on the environmental waste that comes from disposal.”

Mayor Flannery says Council is conducting ongoing maintenance along the region’s foreshores to protect sand dunes and qualified inspectors are continuing year-round monitoring of trees.

“In particular, large trees are continually monitored by Council on land that’s near important infrastructure or may be of a public safety concern.

“Where risks to injury or infrastructure are assessed as too high, that vegetation will be removed or managed accordingly after assessment by qualified professionals to ensure we comply with our environmental management obligations.”

For general maintenance requests for Council property such as roads and drains phone 3205 0555 or 1300 477 161, log a job online here or download the MBRC Request app.