Mr BALCH - 1998-12-01
One of the main concerns of people living on floodplains is that they receive sufficient warning if a flood is likely to occur. This is particularly relevant to the people of Katherine as this year’s wet season approaches. Can the minister advise if adequate warning systems are in place?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the magnitude of the flood in the Katherine and Daly Rivers and other nearby streams in January this year clearly demonstrated the need for effective flood warnings. These are the sorts of matters that one would expect the opposition to be questioning government on to make sure that Territorians are afforded an appropriate level of protection and forewarning of a natural disaster, but of course you can’t get them up out of the gutter. It’s a great shame that they can’t focus on issues of importance to Territorians, whether it be protecting them from natural disasters or creating jobs.
As to the question asked by the member for Jingili, who is interested in these matters, the flood forecasting systems in place across the Northern Territory are now all fully operational for the coming wet season. Additional devices have been put in place. While we can’t, of course, predict floods, what we can do is put in appropriate warning devices that will give residents of flood-prone areas an appropriate period of time to be able to remove their treasured items, some of the collectables that they’ve collected over the years, their vehicles and pets and to be able to prepare for a flood. That is precisely what the Department of Police, Fire and Emergency Services and other agencies have been focusing on since January.
The warning systems are essential to prepare people for the likelihood of a flood and when it may occur, and I am pleased to be able to advise that new gauging stations have been installed in the catchment of the Katherine River. They will provide information via a telephone network to central control points in Katherine and Darwin which will give precise predictions and warnings if there is a potential of a flood in those areas.
I am sure that the member for Victoria River, with his constituents down along the Daly River and on the outskirts of Katherine - even the member for Arnhem might have been interested enough to ask a question like this to ensure that his constituents were safeguarded. Sadly, no, however, because he lives in the northern suburbs and his office is in the northern suburbs. He doesn’t have the opportunity to be able to protect them.
Equipment has been ordered for a pager display unit to be installed in the police station in Katherine, which will be automatically activated ...
Mr Ah Kit interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!Member for Arnhem.
Mr REED: If you’re not interested in this, people listening are. He lives in Casuarina and his office won’t get flooded, because it’s 300 miles from his constituents. He’s safe. He doesn’t care about his constituents. He doesn’t even want to hear about this. He should be ashamed of that, and so should his boss.
Mr Ah Kit interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Arnhem, I’ve spoken to you enough times. Order!
Mr REED: Those display unitswill be automatically be activated when each of the 3 levels at the gorge listed in the counter-disaster plan are reached, and the pager then will display a message which describes the flood magnitude forecast in the plan for each of the water level heights.
The other gauging stations in operation across the Territory are in the Todd River in Alice Springs, for the information of members with constituents in Alice Springs, the Victoria River to a 4-day level of information for the people of Timber Creek, and the highway crossing of the Daly River for the Daly River community.
I want to compliment the officers of the Departments of Lands, Planning and Environment and Police, Fire and Emergency Services, and other agencies such as Transport and Works, which has been working hard during the year to ensure that the warning systems are both upgraded and in place. Territorians living in those flood-prone areas can now be assured that they will get adequate warning as to the possibility of a flood in the unfortunate event that one should occur.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the magnitude of the flood in the Katherine and Daly Rivers and other nearby streams in January this year clearly demonstrated the need for effective flood warnings. These are the sorts of matters that one would expect the opposition to be questioning government on to make sure that Territorians are afforded an appropriate level of protection and forewarning of a natural disaster, but of course you can’t get them up out of the gutter. It’s a great shame that they can’t focus on issues of importance to Territorians, whether it be protecting them from natural disasters or creating jobs.
As to the question asked by the member for Jingili, who is interested in these matters, the flood forecasting systems in place across the Northern Territory are now all fully operational for the coming wet season. Additional devices have been put in place. While we can’t, of course, predict floods, what we can do is put in appropriate warning devices that will give residents of flood-prone areas an appropriate period of time to be able to remove their treasured items, some of the collectables that they’ve collected over the years, their vehicles and pets and to be able to prepare for a flood. That is precisely what the Department of Police, Fire and Emergency Services and other agencies have been focusing on since January.
The warning systems are essential to prepare people for the likelihood of a flood and when it may occur, and I am pleased to be able to advise that new gauging stations have been installed in the catchment of the Katherine River. They will provide information via a telephone network to central control points in Katherine and Darwin which will give precise predictions and warnings if there is a potential of a flood in those areas.
I am sure that the member for Victoria River, with his constituents down along the Daly River and on the outskirts of Katherine - even the member for Arnhem might have been interested enough to ask a question like this to ensure that his constituents were safeguarded. Sadly, no, however, because he lives in the northern suburbs and his office is in the northern suburbs. He doesn’t have the opportunity to be able to protect them.
Equipment has been ordered for a pager display unit to be installed in the police station in Katherine, which will be automatically activated ...
Mr Ah Kit interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!Member for Arnhem.
Mr REED: If you’re not interested in this, people listening are. He lives in Casuarina and his office won’t get flooded, because it’s 300 miles from his constituents. He’s safe. He doesn’t care about his constituents. He doesn’t even want to hear about this. He should be ashamed of that, and so should his boss.
Mr Ah Kit interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Arnhem, I’ve spoken to you enough times. Order!
Mr REED: Those display unitswill be automatically be activated when each of the 3 levels at the gorge listed in the counter-disaster plan are reached, and the pager then will display a message which describes the flood magnitude forecast in the plan for each of the water level heights.
The other gauging stations in operation across the Territory are in the Todd River in Alice Springs, for the information of members with constituents in Alice Springs, the Victoria River to a 4-day level of information for the people of Timber Creek, and the highway crossing of the Daly River for the Daly River community.
I want to compliment the officers of the Departments of Lands, Planning and Environment and Police, Fire and Emergency Services, and other agencies such as Transport and Works, which has been working hard during the year to ensure that the warning systems are both upgraded and in place. Territorians living in those flood-prone areas can now be assured that they will get adequate warning as to the possibility of a flood in the unfortunate event that one should occur.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016