There has been moderate flooding along the Tweed River near Tumbulgum, inundating low lying areas. Source: SBS News / Alexandra Jones
This blog has now ended
There has been moderate flooding along the Tweed River near Tumbulgum, inundating low lying areas. Source: SBS News / Alexandra Jones
We're shutting down our live coverage of ex-Cyclone Alfred for the day.
You can continue to get up-to-date weather advice and warnings from the Bureau of Meteorology website.
Stay safe out there and thank you for joining us!
— Hannah Ritchie
A tent city of rough sleepers has been flooded in Beenleigh, Queensland.
Many have gone to evacuation centres with their tents inundated with water and belongings destroyed.
SBS World News reporter Alexandra Jones is there and has spoken to a few people impacted by flooding.
One man who stayed said he narrowly escaped his tent being flooded, after a "horrendous four to five days".
Gold Coast mayor Tom Tate has urged residents to be wary of the beach and foreshore.
The SES has picked up 2,600 jobs in the region, with 1,500 outstanding.
Tate said while the rain has started to ease, it’s still very dangerous outside.
"Even though the rain is subsiding, there is still a tremendous amount of water coming through for isolated flash flooding to occur, so don’t take your chances, take a longer route home. We have teams ready on the beach ... so there will be signage out there, and just take notice of that signage," Tate told reporters.
He said people should stay away from the floodwater and the waterways generally. There are 20 sunken boats in the Broadwater.
Tate said water quality in the area is still good, with the sewerage system holding up and the mains water still drinkable.
The town of Beenleigh in Queensland, located between the Logan and Albert Rivers, is affected by major flood warnings for both rivers.
SBS World News reporter Alexandra Jones is on the ground near the flood zone and has captured some of the impact.
Police are urging residents to avoid floodwaters and take alternative routes where possible as widespread flooding continues to affect the region.
— Cameron Carr
My colleagues have more details on how and when you can claim disaster relief payments, including the federal government's income support payment and hardship assistance grants administered by the Queensland government.
You can read more about the payments by clicking on the link below:
— Cameron Carr
The Seqwater authority is warning that sewage is expected to overflow into flood waters across Queensland.
"We’re experiencing wastewater overflows and releases from some of our wastewater infrastructure due to ... increased flows from wet weather, power outages or critical components of pump stations having been removed as part of preparation works," it said in a statement, reminding the public to avoid contact with flood water and local waterways in the aftermath of ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred.
"During wet weather events, waterways can be impacted by a range of sources including diluted wastewater, debris, animal waste and stormwater run-off."
The authority has confirmed that drinking water in the state remains safe.
During extreme weather events, contaminated water can be a hotbed for waterborne bacterial diseases, viruses, parasites, and flood-related health risks.
— Cameron Carr
Brisbane has experienced its wettest day in 51 years according to an analysis from Weatherzone.
A total of 275.2mm filled the gauge in the 24 hours to 9am Monday, making it the city's wettest 24-hour period since 314mm fell in the 24 hours to 9am on 26 January 1974 — the year of the devastating Brisbane River floods in the wake of Tropical Cyclone Wanda.
"The good news for sodden Brisbane locals is that heavy rain is expected to ease this afternoon, with showers on the cards for the rest of the week rather than persistent rain," Weatherzone said in a statement.
"But the immediate situation remains extremely serious across significant parts of southeast Queensland and northeast NSW. Numerous flood warnings are in place, as well as multiple emergency warnings from NSW and Qld authorities."
— Cameron Carr
Speaking in Lismore, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also urged insurance companies to "do the right thing" in the aftermath of ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred.
"They have a social licence and people expect them to make payments in a speedy and effective way when they are due," he told reporters, adding that insurance companies should view their disaster response efforts as a chance to "restore some of their reputation with the public".
"We are hoping, of course, that they do the right thing, if not, we'll give consideration to any measures that are required."
In the past, big insurers in Australia have faced criticism for risk exclusions in their terms, leaving many homes uninsured during major disasters like floods or fires, and shifting the burden onto governments to provide assistance.
— Hannah Ritchie
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is in Lismore, where residents have gone days without power and water due to flooding.
Albanese flagged several grants that are available for impacted residents.
"They cover emergency costs, replacement of damaged household goods and reconnection of services," he told reporters.
"There's emergency hardship assistance grants, essential services, hardship assistance, essential household contents grants, and structural assistance grants."
Albanese said he would announce additional financial support for communities later today.
From tomorrow, eligible workers and sole traders who have lost income due to ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred will be able to access up to 13 weeks of income support.
— Cameron Carr
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli said power has been restored to about 140,000 properties in the state, but more than 200,000 are still without power.
"I understand how much this has impacted you and the impacts on food, your family, your mental health, your ability to be able to stay connected," he told reporters on Monday.
"Those crews are working around-the-clock and their priority, first and foremost, is to try to get this state back on its feet."
Crisafulli also spoke about getting children back to school safely.
At the moment, 463 state and 259 independent and Catholic schools remain closed.
"There will be further damage assessments done to some of those schools, some without power, many with other complications, but they will be working around-the-clock to bring them back on," he said.
He said parents would be updated on Monday evening about which school could reopen and when.
A teenager who was reported missing near floodwaters in Queensland has been found safe and well.
The 18-year-old male was last seen on Sunday night near Logan Reserve, south of Brisbane.
Police and carers were concerned for his welfare as he has a medical condition.
Police have confirmed he's now been found.
— Amy Hall
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli warned of more intense flooding ahead as the Queensland SES reported its busiest 24 hours on record.
"The last 24 hours, there have been 3,676 calls to help for the SES — that is the largest 24-hour period in the history of Queensland State Emergency Service," he told reporters.
Crisafulli said he anticipates more intense flooding.
"Rainfall is leading to flash flooding as well as river flooding in parts of the south-east, severe weather warnings still exist right now, and we are urging people to stay connected because of the prospect of more intense flooding during the course of today," he said.
Volunteers from South Australia, the ACT and Western Australia are all about to arrive in the state to help, he said.
— Cameron Carr
Opposition leader Peter Dutton has addressed the criticism he has received for attending a fundraiser in Sydney while his home state was preparing for the cyclone.
"It wasn't a party, it was a fundraising dinner and the prime minister and I are doing them around the country at the moment," he told Sky News.
"I'd received a briefing in the morning, went down, I had diary commitments including lunch with an archbishop and a number of meetings otherwise in Sydney.
"I flew home on the first flight on Wednesday morning back into my electorate and the event hadn’t started by then, didn't start until Friday.
"I think people who are using that for political advantage in the time of a natural disaster, frankly, that’s a poorer reflection on them than it is on me. I think people recognise that."
The fundraiser was held on Tuesday at billionaire Justin Hemmes' $100 million Vaucluse mansion.
— Cameron Carr
Coles and Woolworths supermarkets have been reopening across affected areas in Queensland and NSW where it is safe to do so.
Many stores will have adjusted opening hours, lower levels of stock and buying limits.
SBS News understands that most Coles stores are open, except for three in NSW and 28 in Queensland.
"While our distribution centres are back up and running, our stock levels will vary by stores — depending on when our store team have been able to receive deliveries," a Coles spokesperson said.
"We have got some purchase limits in place on bottled water, long-life milk and toilet paper."
Woolworths also confirmed a majority of its stores would be open.
"In the last 32 hours more than 300 truckloads have left our Brisbane distribution centres en route to our stores across Queensland and Northern New South Wales, as our teams work hard to restock our shelves," a Woolworths spokesperson said.
"While this is great progress, getting our stores back to normal will understandably take some time."
— Cameron Carr
People affected by ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred may be eligible for the government's Disaster Recovery Allowance (DRA), Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed on Monday.
Applications for the allowance would be available from 2pm on Tuesday through the myGOV website.
"The recovery in this is going to take a long time," Albanese told Nine's Today program.
The DRA is a short-term income support payment to assist people who have lost income as a direct result of a disaster, and up to 13 weeks' payment could be available.
Impacted residents may also be eligible for a one-off payment of $1000 for adults and $400 for children under the government's scheme.
— Cameron Carr
Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred has battered the Queensland and NSW coasts, causing flooding, power outages, property damage, and beach erosion.
It is estimated to have gouged millions of cubic metres of sand from over 500km of coastline.
Alfred has caused extreme beach erosion, leaving escarpments up to 6m high in some dunes.
In NSW, a dead whale has been found washed up on the shore.
— Cameron Carr
Residents in the path of flooding and storms are concerned their insurance premiums could rise.
On Monday morning, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was asked whether insurance companies are overcharging home customers.
"We will certainly hold the insurance companies to account," he told Sunrise.
"This is a time where they need to do a bit of repair of their relationships with the Australian public by doing the right thing and making payments immediately."
Billions of dollars of damage are expected to follow ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred.
New research from The Australia Institute found almost one in five Australians' homes are under-insured or uninsured, as experts in climate risk and justice warn more frequent natural disasters could push up insurance premiums — or result in coverage being withdrawn.
— Cameron Carr
NSW Premier Chris Minns has praised the bravery of State Emergency Service (SES) volunteers assisting communities in the wake of ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred.
He said there were over 3,000 SES volunteers in the Northern Rivers region helping residents.
"In many cases, it is dangerous and difficult work, and you need to be brave to undertake the work," Minns said.
"We owe them a huge debt of gratitude, and I'm sure Northern Rivers will show their hospitality to these people when you see them in the street in the days ahead, buy them a coffee or maybe a beer if their shift is over."
NSW SES reported there have been 635 incidents and over 1,100 calls for support in the last 24 hours.
NSW SES deputy commissioner Damian Johnson said: "Unfortunately, we've had another 18 flood rescues in the last 24 hours. The vast majority of the public and the community are heeding the warnings, and I thank you for that."
— Cameron Carr
The Bureau of Meteorology has been providing updates on the wild weather this morning.
A severe thunderstorm warning for intense rainfall has been issued for the Queensland town of Cherbourg and parts of the Gympie, Somerset, South Burnett, Lockyer Valley, and Toowoomba council areas.
That has the potential to lead to dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding.
A separate severe weather warning for heavy, locally intense rainfall remains current over the southeast coast of Queensland and parts of Wide Bay and Burnett and Darling Downs and Granite Belt Forecast Districts.
In NSW, a severe weather warning is in place for the Northern Rivers, North West Slopes and Plains, Northern Tablelands, and parts of Mid North Coast districts.
Heavy rain that may lead to flash flooding is possible in parts of those areas, the bureau warns.
That's forecast to ease during the afternoon.
— Amy Hall
NSW Premier Chris Minns has said as storm threats subside, emergency evacuation centres will begin to close.
"As evacuation notices are lifted in these communities, we will be closing down evacuation centres," he said.
"These are not permanent solutions to that region's housing challenges.
"As the premier, I am fully aware of the significant challenges for housing in the rivers, but evacuation centres are not permanent solutions, they just can't be, we don't have the resources, the staffing, the time, the allocation."
Minns said the government will announce the details of grants for flood-affected communities later today.
— Cameron Carr
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