Floods
The phone isn’t answering this afternoon at The Bridge Tavern and Steakhouse in Wagga Wagga.
The line also rings out at the Duke Hotel, The Home Tavern Hotel and The Tourist Hotel, all of which share a riverside address in Fitzmaurice St in downtown Wagga Wagga, where a State of Emergency has just been declared
At least 9,000 people in Australia’s 29th most populous city have evacuated and is eerily quiet as the deluge approaches. A deluge has already come from the skies. The city received 156 mm in the first four days of March. But the upper Murrumbidgee catchment received up to three times that much, and that water is now heading into town.
Continue reading "Flood levees on the brink as Wagga Wagga waits" »
On February 7, the National Climate Centre announced Australia just had its wettest two years on record. It’s dangerously wet again in SE Australia this week. Many towns have had over half their annual rainfall in February alone. Some are going under.
But all this rain has very little to do with climate change, according to Dr Karl Braganza of the National Climate Centre (NCC).
“This sort of rainfall occurred in south east Australia in the early 70s. We have had two La Nina events in a row just like we did in 1973 and ’74, so it’s far too early to say whether there is a link to climate change.”
Continue reading "The frogs are croaking, but don’t blame climate change" »
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sodapoppy says:
Flannery must be one of the highest paid clowns in captivity Read more »
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Daremo says:
But they did say that we would have less rainfall. I have seen Prof Flannery say it many times. He said, that even it did rain again there would not be enough rain to fill our dams. He said it on your ABC, in print and on the news. The… Read more »
A mandatory evacuation order has been declared for the inland Queensland town of St George as floodwaters deluge parts of the state.
Searchers recovered a woman’s body in floodwaters near Roma, north of St George yesterday.
If you’re in an area threatened by floodwaters, keep your ear tuned to local radio for updates. And remember, if it’s flooded, just forget it.
It’s Monday and it’s somehow already the 6th of February. What’s been happening in your lives, Punchers? And what’s on your mind?
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fairsfair says:
Thanks Badge, but I’ll try my way for as long as I can. Even after three days, I feel so much better. You should give it a go. Read more »
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Robert says:
By what right does the USA, UK, Russia, France & China presume to think they have more rights than anyone else. Why should One country be able to defy the wishes of the majority of members of the UN? If the UK with its 80 millions, the USA with its… Read more »
What happened
Early this year, in the middle of the wettest La Nina summer in 40 years, a vast swathe of south-east Australia went underwater. Dozens of towns and larger centres were inundated in Victoria, Queensland and to a lesser extent New South Wales. At least 35 lives were lost in Queensland.
The flooding came in several waves. Large areas of regional Qld were inundated in December 2010, from the Darling Downs to the Burnett and beyond. When the second wave came in early January, it came even harder and faster, with devastating results.
The Toowoomba flash flood was the moment this event turned from a slow inundation best viewed from choppers to an outright disaster where destruction was both brutal and swift. The floodwaters cascaded from the crest of the Great Divide into the Lockyer Valley, where the impact on towns like Grantham was beyond belief.
Continue reading "Biggest moments of 2011 #2 Water, water everywhere" »
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PW says:
If you are living on land that is flood prone, and your insurer is covering you for this at a “very reasonable” cost, it sounds like you are being subsidised by other policyholders whose homes will never flood. If you live somewhere that floods once in 30 years (like the… Read more »
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PW says:
Much as I didn’t agree with the desal plant (and still don’t , would have rather a recycling plant), the fact is that Sydney was down to little more than 30% of its water supply. Nobody had any idea at all when the drought was going to break. Had the… Read more »
The Punch: In January, you wrote that Wivenhoe Dam levels were “exceptionally high” and provisions for flood management were “dangerously inadequate”. Can you expand on this a bit?
Prior to the Brisbane/Wivenhoe flood in January, the risk and warnings for a flood were quite extreme and the lack of response by the Dam operator was inexplicable. A raging La Nina was in existence, and the authorities had three “test run” flood events to convince them they should be wary. But they did not act.
In the week prior to the floods, the BoM was warning that a very heavy rain incident was imminent, but again there was no apparent response from the dam manager. As the rain incident actually developed there was very little sign of action to release water in a proactive way to keep dam levels down.
Under the threat of losing Wivenhoe (Somerset was also at risk) the operator finally released a deluge into the river system, which history now tells us was rather damaging.
Continue reading "Wivenhoe: Damned if they did, damned if they didn’t" »
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Fiona says:
I came up to Brisbane when the drought started and the 74 flood was legendary. After all that time when the drought broke it really broke. The dams went from being at bugger all capacity to overfull. Read more »
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bananabender says:
Wivenhoe was not originally designed to to store water. It was simply built to stop flooding. Later modifications added extra water storage capacity. Wivenhoe requires heavy rains in excess of 100mm over 1-2 weeks to allow runoff. This fulls the dam. However lighter regular rainfall simply soaks into teh ground… Read more »
We must rebuild for everyone
I visited a woman recently who - for the last three years - has only left her house once a week. Not because she doesn’t want to, but because she can’t.
Ruth - not her real name - uses an electric wheelchair, and has almost no vision. She lives in public housing and - through a decision driven by crass and uncaring bureaucracy - has been placed in a house which has three steps at the front, and six at the back. She has been provided with a portable ramp, which she cannot put in place without assistance.
Continue reading "Don’t forget the disabled in flood reconstruction" »
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Edward James says:
@ Chris. Taxpayers are being bullied by people in positions of power. Several years ago Gosford City Council installed tactile aids in local footpaths incorrectly. They are intended to help visually impaired pedestrians to line themselves up at a right angle to the gutter so they may move straight across… Read more »
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Chris says:
Right Graeme as someone with a disability I am going to agree and disagree with you. Personal housing needs to be accessible. I am not arguing with you. I also believe there needs to be access to footpaths, transport and community buildings which are widely used. I am however fed… Read more »
The floods have caused great devastation and have presented fundamental challenges to our society and lives.
This kind of crisis poses challenges to us on a number of levels – social, physical, emotional and existential.
Tory Shepherd’s article “Digging a hole while trying to find God” outlines the existential challenges provoked by the flood.
Continue reading "A response: Disasters do not negate the existence of God" »
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Mooffbits says:
In other states, you ought to be prepared to discover a bookie and to put a bet, you’ve got to be previous the age of twenty-1. They scour all of the data that could be observed to them and obtain a winning formula to forecast winners in sports betting at… Read more »
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Church leaders faced with a national disaster are struggling to find relevance and avoid hypocrisy. In the wake of the floods, people with religious convictions face an age-old question:
Where was God?
It’s a classic case of cognitive dissonance, where holding two conflicting thoughts causes the brain to implode. God is good, all-knowing and all-powerful and yet bad stuff happens.
Continue reading "Digging a hole while trying to find God" »
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Stu says:
@ True Believer: “I ‘believe’ you exist, but I do not ‘know’ you exist. I am replying to you on the basis of my belief you are there. There is a difference. :0)” Explains even more. Do you know I’m is responding to you on the Punch, or do you… Read more »
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True Believer says:
@Stu: “Interesting you think you can respond to someone who does not exist. Explains a lot. “ I ‘believe’ you exist, but I do not ‘know’ you exist. I am replying to you on the basis of my belief you are there. There is a difference. :0) Read more »
Oops.
As many commenters have been pointing out in Tory’s piece this morning, Julia Gillard put in a shocker on Sunrise this morning. Watch the full 13 minutes above, if you can bear it.
For my money, shadow treasurer Joe Hockey wasn’t great either. His comment to the effect that contractors currently engaged in the BER and the NBN rollout should be immediately redeployed to flood rebuilding was opportunistic in the extreme. And by opportunistic, I mean sneaky. But that was just a taster. According to most observers, the PM was far, far worse.
Continue reading "Was this Gillard’s worst ever media performance?" »
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Liza says:
I can’t relate to her one bit, but idiot “Kochie” has always been transparent as a pathetic so-called “journalist” - I wouldn’t trust him with getting a pizza order correct. I still remember those hilarious ambo scenes at Beaconsfield when lives were at stake. Keep up the good work “Kochie”… Read more »
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Pinochio Meet Semaphore says:
I’m not certain that it is the worst. There have been many that were excruciating to witness. Imagine; The Australian Prime Minister reduced to a populist puppet way out of her depth. You can see the difference from the moment she got the gig to now. She’s aged 20 years… Read more »
Julia Gillard faces her biggest political test since becoming Prime Minister to win the approval of parliament for the $5.6 billion flood rescue package.
And she be may forced to negotiate a permanent Natural Disaster Fund if she wants to win the backing of key rural Independent MPs and the Greens. NSW rural MPs Tony Windsor and Rob Oakeshott are demanding a long-term solution to fund the regular bushfires and floods that ravage rural communities across Australia.
The Greens - who are likely to back the flood rescue plan - also said they are opposed to climate program cuts announced as part of a raft of savings measures. But at least one Independent MP - Queenslander Bob Katter - said he loves the levy and will support it when it comes before Parliament.
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Sick says:
The Labor Party (State & Federal) have made decisions which helped contribute to the flood mess and now they expect us to bail them out with our taxpayer dollars again!!! The dolts who think that we should sit back and take this should foot the bill…I’m seriously sick of the… Read more »
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Mick says:
@MarK…I’m well aware of the issue being discussed & your pathetic attempts to make a moral issue a political one…not everything has to be equated on it’s political relevance…esp in time of immediate need. You are a lap dog to Abbott…it’s so plain & obvious for all here to see.… Read more »
Julia Gillard today extracted herself from the sucking political quagmire of the past two months with a package of flood recovery money which appeals to the heart as well as the exchequer.
Gillard was bogged down in the response to the three-state inundation while just about every other public figure associated with it had their standings enhanced.
She was always seen by critics as a superfluous figure distracting from that nice Anna Bligh, or annoying flood victims with intrusions. Her clothing, hair-do and even her emotional commitment were savaged.
Continue reading "Both sides have a history of imposing levies" »
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Josephine says:
it’s also easy for you to be against the levy when you have a roof to live under. but imagine being a flood victim with absolutely nothing… yes it’s pretty obvious the government could be paying for all this… we aren’t a poor country.. but they aren’t going to so… Read more »
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emma says:
a result of bad government decisions? I think you’re forgetting that the Queensland floods were a NATURAL disaster… as much as you may be hating on the government… im pretty sure it wasn’t their fault. Read more »
Sometimes people just get it plain wrong. And that goes for me as well.
Often we’ve thought that Generation Y are so preoccupied with themselves that they are not interested in the world around them. Or worse, they’re interested but not doing anything about it.
The stereotype goes along these lines: locked up in their bedrooms, on Facebook 24 hours a day, playing computer games, comfortable in the world of anonymity. And no social responsibility. Well, it’s time to put all their prejudices back in their box. Because what has happened in Brisbane in the last few weeks is the total and comprehensive counterproof.
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hatingitall says:
i’m not sure why one age group needs thanking in a crisis that affects all- but being grateful for grouping together-sure. it’s not right to make it about generations who deserve thanking! ludacris! To be gen x-or “gen x-stra ignored bias” This is ,YET another example of it. rather than… Read more »
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Julian says:
Ben H the main thing which is clear is your personal bias against Rudd. Kevin is thanking genY (which is mostly maligned for having no social conscious), for stepping up to clean up the debris, rubbish and mud. You however seem more then happy to sling as much verbal rubbish… Read more »
This summer of floods has been an incredible test of character for all the people who’ve faced it. And through it all, amongst the tragedy, sadness and loss, our Aussie spirit has shone through, brighter than ever.
Stories of bravery, sacrifice and mateship abound. Friends drop everything to go and help their friends. Total strangers put their lives at risk to save others. People wade into floodwaters to save stranded dogs, cats and even kangaroos.
People who live on high ground offered their driveways, their yards and even their houses so total strangers can store their possessions and have somewhere to sleep.
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CJ says:
Xavier, I think that is a little unfair. Why not celebrate the good which has come out of a crisis like this? I think we need to make the distinction between what is unnecessary and nationalist, and what is simply a celebration of how we as a nation are at… Read more »
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Gregg says:
It’d be hard to know how it was on the ground in Pakistan, Myanmar, Haiti, Indonesia or wherever in times of crisis, some that they have had being far worse than we have had, even earthquakes in Christchurch not to be sneezed at nor the far greater loss of life… Read more »
When my parents lived in the Queensland town of Gympie in the ‘70s there was an unofficial but strict allocation of civic duties come flood time.
Gympie is an old gold town and the gouging for riches had perverted every natural water course, redirecting the flow through the main streets.
Shop walls displayed the heights previous floods had reached, and it was always accepted there were more to come.
Continue reading "You can’t take climate change out of the flood equation" »
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mollie says:
Exactamente! Me gusta su pensamiento. Invito a fijar el tema. http://www.sextf.com/ kentavios Read more »
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Obob says:
Warmists KRudd And Combet Obviously Aren’t Swallowing Their Own Crap About Rising Sea Levels In 2009, KRudd claimed global warming could drown 711,000 properties on Australia’s coast: “KRudd: In New South Wales more than 200,000 buildings along the state’s coast are vulnerable. Queensland is at the highest risk from Australian… Read more »
Sometimes it takes a disaster to shake the complacency out of us. To rethink the attitude of ‘she’ll be right’ when clearly things are not right.
So isn’t it time to develop a national masterplan to help guide future planning and development in this country to try and stop the increasing loss of life and damage that the natural forces around Australia unleash?
If you look at the past decade there have many natural disasters, both fire and flood, which have destroyed so many homes. We have seen the fires in Victoria which swept through the hill communities of Flowerdale, Kinglake and Marysville in 2009 destroying over 2,000 homes and taking 173 lives. Back in 1983 Ash Wednesday fires in South Australia destroyed 2,400 homes.
Continue reading "We need a masterplan to deal with worsening disasters" »
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Ray says:
It is ironic that the Wivenhoe Dam that was built to lessen the risk of flood damage to Brisbane, has in fact contributed largely to the 2011 Brisbane Flood, thanks to the ineptitude of the dam operator, which is a Qld Govt instrumentality. As a taxpayer, I find it appalling… Read more »
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Population Pooper says:
Having toomany kids is a disaster! Read more »
We have a remarkable confluence of disasters.
Not only have individuals suffered massive losses from the recent floods - partly because of the lack of an effective insurance market - but so has the community at large.
Massive amounts of infrastructure - roads, bridges, rail and so on - have been damaged by the floods and the government is faced with paying billions of dollars to repair and replace this infrastructure. Although local and state government will need to take responsibility for this, the funding will mostly come from the Commonwealth Government.
Continue reading "$10 billion in bonds to kill two birds with one stone" »
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Harquebus says:
@Gregg. Did I say “grow”? Read more »
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Rev says:
So…why don’t we just tell everyone under 40 (myself included) that there will be no pension? That’ll motivate em Read more »
It warms my heart to think of all the Australians donating cash to Queensland flood victims.
What frightens the crap out of me is all those who’d rather give Aunt Beryl’s chest of drawers, the toaster with only one grill functioning, the shorts that Jayden grew out of and the packet of Sao biscuits that lay dormant at the back of the pantry.
As amazing as Anna Bligh has been this week, I’m sure there’s probably one thing she desperately wishes she could say but can’t.
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Paranoia says:
What irritates me is that giving people cash to buy new things is basically teaching them that it’s all right for you to not be prepared, or to think anything through, or to have any foresight whatsoever… it’s okay, it’s not your fault, here’s a lot of cash and you… Read more »
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Dana says:
I donated about $1,000 dollars worth of maternity clothes, brand new all with tags on and children’s books and DVDs. There is no way I could afford to give even a quarter of that in cash. I found out that flight centre in our area had chartered a plane for… Read more »
While devastating floodwaters recede in the north even as they rise in the south, Australians are understandably shocked by what has occurred in the past few weeks.
The extent of the tragedy and loss of life, property and infrastructure is indeed numbing. It is heartbreaking. And it is incomprehensible to those of us not directly involved.
But the downpour, while rare, is not of itself unique.
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JR says:
HaHa. That was just too easy. Read more »
Enough is enough. The diabolical mess surrounding flood insurance must be resolved now before even more Australian families are sent to the financial brink at their time of need.
As we watch the flood devastation around the country, understand that up to half those affected will not be covered by insurance - even though they have a home and contents policy and think they’re protected.
The reason is the small print in their policy (be honest, how many have actually read that bit?) and the fact that many insurance companies have had their fancy lawyers draft definitions of “flood” which don’t actually payout on a flood situation.
Continue reading "Flood victims ripped off by greedy insurers" »
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michaelt says:
Hello, you used to write fantastic, but the last several posts have been kinda boring’ I miss your super writings. Past several posts are just a bit out of track! come on! [url= ]follow this link for more info [/url] Read more »
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Eric Bell says:
Do you really feel that Syria spying on dissidents? Read more »
I woke last Thursday morning wondering whether my sister was dead or alive.
That day, the Brisbane River was expected to peak at 5.5 metres.
Suze lives in the city’s west, near Ipswich.
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Tracy says:
“A Fine Balance’ was indeed a sad, awesome, massive read! You are the only person I’ve come across who’s read it…how about the ending, huh??? Will stay in my mind a LONG time….got to find a copy of Grapes of Wrath now Sorry to have sidetracked here… Read more »
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Kerrie O'Rourke says:
Tracey is the best of the Spice Girls ,floods or not Read more »
The worst thing which can be said about a politician in a time of crisis is that they are trying to cash in on a tragedy for electoral gain.
Only the most miserable cynic could make such an assertion against the Queensland Premier Anna Bligh, whose performance this week has been dutiful, sober and workmanlike as she has kept her state and the rest of the nation up to date with the latest on the flood situation.
After Kristina Keneally in NSW, who also faces an election this year, Anna Bligh is the least popular state leader in Australia and is just as likely as her NSW counterpart to be removed by the voters when her government goes to the polls. Perhaps it’s for this reason that Bligh has adopted such a bullshit-free approach in her handling of these appalling floods, acting like a person who knows she probably won’t be around much longer, and would like to be remembered for at least doing the right thing during such an extraordinary crisis.
Continue reading "How Anna Bligh, politician, acted just like a human" »
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Anna's performance v the timeline and now revealed says:
For 36 years Brisbane has been expecting a la nina end of cycle massive precipation drop in the catchment above the dam. It happens in regular and then peak cycles going back to records from the 19th century. This was one firmly predicted as far back as mid december as… Read more »
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Brewstermac says:
Anna has been very good at the press presentations, but she is the state leader and has failed miserably at that task. She should never have been given the job by Beattie but he needed someone to take over that would make even him look good. Read more »
Jordan Rice was 13 years old when he died. His rescue was imminent but he refused the help, insisting his would-be rescuers take his 10-year-old brother, Blake, first.
When his rescuers returned Jordan was insisting they take his mother, Donna, first - but there was no more time.
The rope to which he and Donna desperately clung snapped and they were both swept away by the raging floodwater.
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Leiwen Pang says:
Haven’t read anything so meaningful since the last Mitch Albom novel. RIP Jordan Rice. Thx Brett for this amazing & inspiring article. It is indeed as simple as love, that’s all it takes. Read more »
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stephen says:
So’s yours. There won’t be many who’ll remember a lad who, amongst a swell, gave time to his little brother, then had his mother give time to him, and then to join, hopefully, hand in hand, with love to the end. Read more »
Through the uncertainty, devastation and loss, Brisbane has finally revealed itself to me.
As the flood waters continued to rise in the city’s suburbs yesterday, so too did its fiercely defiant spirit.
You could almost feel a little tall poppy syndrome settling in.
Continue reading "Brisbane’s spirit defies watery tormentor" »
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Joy Bowa says:
As a former Brisbanite, you sure have forgotten the Queensland spirit. Grow up! Read more »
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jg says:
Is it now time to introduce an Australian volunteer medal into the Honours and Awards system? After all, defence personel recieve a service medal after 4 years, uniformed volunteers have to wait 15 years. Alternatively an Australian Humanitarian Medal, which would address the inbalance with regard to the Humanitarian Overseas… Read more »
Extreme situations bring out extreme behaviour.
So far we have seen heroism, desperation, and stoicism. Grief and relief.
And now we’re seeing the lowest of the low – scammers pretending to be collecting money for flood victims.
Continue reading "In the wake of disaster, scammers strike" »
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psyco-corporation says:
{its just a freezing cold world for them.emotion is to be exploited.} Theyre feeding on the commoners? Read more »
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Daylight robbery says:
Unfortunately like NSW and Vic the report on the ABC news of fake tradies wouldn’t happen. You have to have a licence identification to operate in those states. Because QLD doesn’t have trade identification cards or licenses for some trades QLD is open to abuse from people pretending to be… Read more »
That there are still unexplained and magical elements every day in this deep and complex world is mostly wonderful.
It is wonderful, for example, that doctors still cannot tell precisely when a woman will go into labour.
The world held its breath early this week, wondering when our own Princess Mary would give birth to twins.
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Hoonoautona says:
free social photo networks http://facesepicentre.com/ canadian social network ft myers social network Read more »
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Chris T says:
Here we have a Federal and State Labour party in power completley stuffing up left right and centre. We have a disaster and they shed a few tears and we think they have done a great job and re elect them. I was watching the GG on TV last night… Read more »
There will come a time for introspection, but for now we watch the tide.
Before dawn broke this morning much of Brisbane’s CBD will have been swamped by a muddy deluge that will scour and scare the city.
But this is a news story like no other in our history because this story is playing out painstakingly live on at least four channels.
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Sarah Siltman says:
Agree with Heather. I was in a flood zone, (luckily stayed dry on a hill) but had no tv, signal - got cut at the start of the floods, and I just watched twitter, Facebook flood groups, Qld police website, and ABC 612 on the radio. I got HEAPS of… Read more »
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Lee says:
Hate the headline. This is reality, not a movie… Read more »
Those of us who grew up in Toowoomba always knew two things. Not much ever happens there and it does not flood.
Resting on top of the Great Dividing Range, any rain would run off steeply down the mountain to the east and gently over the Darling Downs to the west.
All that changed just after lunch on Monday, with chilling and terrifying speed. And with deadly consequences. So many lives lost. And so many families heart-broken.
Continue reading "A town changed forever by devastating tragedy" »
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CJ Morgan says:
Yes, a great piece from Ian Royall. I have occasion to visit Toowoomba quite often for business and medical reasons, and I concur with his description of the city. We were last there just a couple of weeks ago, and did some of our Christmas shopping in the area that… Read more »
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Paul says:
@Stephen Putnam “If you had bothered to read the literature on climate change you would understand that severe flooding is one of its predicted results.” Oh dear. This would have to be one of the silliest things I’ve read in a while. Funny about all those floods that happened in… Read more »
Almost as soon as they can speak, humans starting asking “Why?”.
We hate feeling powerless. We hate the not-knowing.
So already there is plenty of speculation about what – or who – is to blame for the Queensland floods, which devastated Toowoomba and are set to wreak havoc in Brisbane.
Continue reading "As the water rises again, the questions begin" »
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George says:
Quote Of The Day From A True Scientist “Among my friends, I do not find much of a consensus. Most of us are sceptical and do not pretend to be experts. My impression is that the “experts” are deluded because they have been studying the details of climate models for… Read more »
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Obob says:
Warmist Garnaut Should Widen His Reading List Some papers Garnaut may not have considered The current “exceptional” climate events are not exceptional; not one. So indeed Garnaut is right: we have seen “nothing yet”, only natural variation. Garnaut still mistakes natural for exceptional. February 10 2011 http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/43878.html Anthony Cox and… Read more »
In 20 years, 25 per cent of the population of Australia will live on a strip of land between Coffs Harbour in NSW and Hervey Bay in central Queensland.
That’s a prediction made by many in both state and local government - including Queensland Premier Anna Bligh a couple of years ago.
The massive growth projections have both excited and worried local and state planners.
Continue reading "Could better planning have helped in Toowoomba?" »
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Feeling for QLDers says:
This sort of rain can clearly be dealt with. Darwin has a rainfall of about a metre and a half, most of it in three months of the year. When we have massive monsoonal storms which often dump a few hundred mm of rain in 1-2 days, we get almost… Read more »
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Where? says:
God has no idea where Rural SA is,alot of serial killers do Read more »
While the majority of urban Australians get back to work after a rejuvenating holiday, Queenslanders begin the new decade trying to escape the rising floodwaters. The social and economic impacts from the floods are likely to be felt for some time.
The floods in the Murray-Darling Basin have affected lives and livelihoods, crops have been damaged, though for many it has also brought much needed water and rejuvenated pastures.
All of this water may lead many people to assume that the environmental problems in the Murray-Darling Basin have been solved, but this is far from the truth.
Continue reading "Dams won’t solve the problems of flooding" »
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Everyone loves to bag the weatherman. But the cold, hard truth of the matter is that weather forecasts have become extremely reliable. It’s everyone else who gets it wrong.
By “everyone else” I mean both the general public and the media. As messengers, the media often over-simplify the bureau’s raw data to the point of abstraction, while the public takes the game of Chinese Whispers a step further, wildly misinterpreting the media’s already-distorted forecasts.
It happens every day. A forecast that says “slight chance of a shower” becomes an umbrella icon on a ditzy weather presenter’s weather chart, which the public then read as a certain deluge.
Continue reading "Don’t blame the Weather Bureau for dud forecasts" »
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Drernlatoyia says:
I’m sure the best for you <a >coach outlet</a> for less Read more »
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Eva says:
Totally agree with you Anthony - just the other day my kids were telling me it was 8 degrees and I was saying what’s the wind chill factor? How hard can it be for the Aussie weather services? It has been standard practice in other parts of the world for… Read more »
Disease looms as the second wave of death behind virtually every natural disaster. It is why the first stages of relief efforts are best measured by what doesn’t happen rather than what does.
The response to the Asian tsunami was stunningly successful in halting thousands more deaths through disease.
The threat of disease is the reason why in Pakistan today, even though flood waters have peaked and are beginning to recede, the situation facing millions of survivors is catastrophic.
Continue reading "Why Australians need to do more for Pakistan" »
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A Nobody says:
Being a muslim and donating to 5 local charities locally in Australia I just can’t believe some of you are so heartless. Maybe I should stop giving locally and give to Pakistan instead. I am a low income earner. I just get by most of the time. I always find… Read more »
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Robinoz says:
I wouldn’t give Pakistan a cent. It’s full of Taliban who are killing off those whom they think are Christians, denying food aid to those who aren’t muslim. Pakistan isn’t a friend of Australia’s. Let the numerous muslim countries help Pakistan and put our money to better uses. Read more »
ActionAid, Plan Australia and Save the Children have joined forces in a national newspaper advertisment campaign today to raise the profile of the Pakistan flood disaster. But it’s not your money that they’re after.
All three charities have come together in response to what they’ve described as a dire “lack” of media coverage of the emergency situation and are rallying their efforts to bring our attention to the situation at hand.
So what exactly is going on in Pakistan?
Continue reading "Why have we abandoned the people of Pakistan?" »
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Vidyut says:
I donated twice. I’m not rich. In fact, I’m almost dysfunctionally short on money, but I could see that devastated lives were in far worse shape and needed a heck of a lot more than was going to be available. Then ashamed as I am to admit it, I regretted… Read more »
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Dan says:
They are a friend, and nota ne enemy. The problem is corruption. It has nothing to do with the people. Read more »
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