Queensland floods as it happened: Lockyer Valley, Ipswich inundated as effects of ex-tropical cyclone Alfred linger

A Brisbane woman has been charged after allegedly driving into floodwater yesterday and becoming stuck in her car.

Police say the 58-year-old Enoggera woman approached Newmarket Road when she completed a U-turn, then turned back toward the floodwater, and drove through.

Her vehicle then became submerged and lifted from the road.

The woman was charged with one count of driving without due care and attention, and was scheduled to appear in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on April 14.

Police also released vision of several other motorists they rescued in recent days, showing people stuck in rushing floodwater.

More than 22,000 insurance claims have already been lodged for flood and cyclone damage.

In Queensland, 20,665 claims have now been lodged, most for home policies, while the number of claims from northern NSW is expected to rise over the coming days.

“Claim numbers are rising daily with people assessing the damage to their properties and businesses,” said Insurance Council of Australia CEO Andrew Hall.

“Today’s spike in claims was very much expected and in line with this stage in the recovery process.”

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate is confident the cyclone and flood damage can be repaired in a matter of weeks due to long term efforts to make the region more resilient.

Keen to ensure tourists keep visiting the glitter strip, Tate said beach planting and artificial reefs had avoided larger scale erosion and work was under way to restore public infrastructure, services and amenities.

“With our recovery, we will send a message out that the City of the Gold Coast ... will be ready to make sure that we welcome back Aussie tourists for the April holidays so that we don’t face economic disaster as a result of Alfred,” Tate said.

At the northern end of the Gold Coast, communities are still flooded and Tate said Jacobs Well remained cut off. However, the water is receding and rain has eased.

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli told reporters the government wanted to send a message to tourists, investors and migrants that “this state is open for business”.

Crisafulli vowed to make affected areas more resilient and Queensland an “even better place to live”.

Premier David Crisafulli has announced communities north of Brisbane affected by ex-tropical cyclone Alfred can access financial support packages from today.

“Just moments ago the federal government has agreed to [include] affected areas of the Fraser Coast and Moreton Bay council area,” said Crisafulli.

He added the focus had shifted to reopening the south-east for interstate tourism to ease impact on businesses forced to close or clean up after the weather event.

“Our focus is squarely on recovery … We need to make sure people know this state is open for business.”

For more information about financial assistance for those left without essential needs, such as food or clothing, or essential services – including those left without power for five days – residents can use the state government’s online portal, or call 1800 173 349.

Good morning, and welcome to Brisbane Times’ live news blog. It’s Tuesday, March 11, and a cloudy day with a medium chance of showers is forecast for Brisbane.

The region continues to recover from the aftermath of Cyclone Alfred, with the downgraded system dumping intense and heavy rain at the weekend that tapered off on Monday. Emergency crews sent out by Energex restored power to thousands of homes, while some public transport services resumed in south-east Queensland, and schools started to reopen.

Here’s the latest on ex-tropical cyclone Alfred and how it has affected Brisbane and South East Queensland:

• Just when you thought it was safe to go in the floodwaters: gastro
• ‘Ripping us off’ : Insurers put on notice as claims rush begins
• ‘Many people were caught out’: Thousands of Brisbane residents face hell of high water

Thank you for reading our live coverage of the news today, as floodwater began to recede in catchments across the south-eastern corner of Queensland and residents continued to count the cost of damage from Cyclone Alfred.

If you’re just catching up, here are some of today’s key moments:

• The Brisbane River burst its banks, spilling across footpaths, but it failed to reach the minor flood level in the inner city at high tide.
• High winds brought knocked koalas out of trees, while other animals such as kangaroos were caught in floodwater and wildlife rescue groups reported an influx of injured native fauna.
• After four days of shutdowns, more than 100 Queensland schools were still listed as unsafe, with principals and government building inspectors yet to give them the all clear.
• Raj Sharma was left with $17 and his life in disarray when Cyclone Yasi tore through Far North Queensland in 2011. This is his message to Alfred’s victims.
• With nowhere to go, a handful of squatters in Lismore turned a street of condemned government-owned homes into a community. Now Chris Minns has vowed to demolish the buildings.

We’ll return to live coverage of news around the city tomorrow, so please join us again.

Businesses along the Gold Coast are picking up the pieces after a hairy – and costly – few days as wild weather forced many to close their doors for four days.

Staff at Winey Cow, a cafe just 50 metres from the Surfers Paradise foreshore, closed during the worst of ex-tropical cyclone Alfred and dealt with ankle deep floodwater and persistent dripping from the ceiling during the closure.

Manager Bonnie Cullen said the business lost tens of thousands of dollars. They were unable to access sandbags and resorted to using tea towels in a futile effort to battle the rising waters that entered the ground floor of the cafe.

“With our location, being close to the water, we were completely flooded out. It was coming in from everywhere and anywhere, whether it was the doors, through the roof,” she said.

Today is the first day the business has resumed full service. Cullen says some of her young staff live in houses that have had no power for several days, and have used the cafe’s upstairs rooms to study. Griffith University’s Gold Coast campus remains closed but will reopen tomorrow.

“We’re like a hostel at the moment,” Cullen said.

With the worst of the wild weather now over, Sunshine Coast Council has advice for what people can do with any sandbags they used during the disaster.

“We know that many people have unused SES sandbags and we are calling on our community to put them to work,” said Mayor Rosanna Natoli.

“When the time comes to dispose of sandbags, please use the sand to top dress your lawn then place the bag in your general waste bin or keep it handy for future use. The bags may last up to 12 months.”

Almost 200,000 sandbags were distributed on the Sunshine Coast alone ahead of Cyclone Alfred’s arrival.

A Brisbane woman has been charged after allegedly driving into floodwater yesterday and becoming stuck in her car.

Police say the 58-year-old Enoggera woman approached Newmarket Road when she completed a U-turn, then turned back toward the floodwater, and drove through.

Her vehicle then became submerged and lifted from the road.

The woman was charged with one count of driving without due care and attention, and was scheduled to appear in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on April 14.

Police also released vision of several other motorists they rescued in recent days, showing people stuck in rushing floodwater.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has called on Australians to avoid cancelling any holiday bookings to Queensland as it would be “devastating” for small businesses.

Speaking from the Gold Coast after meeting members of the community affected by ex-tropical cyclone Alfred, Dutton gave appreciation for the work they have done.

“For a tourism city like the Gold Coast, it’s important that people hear the message that the Gold Coast is really open for business again, and to talk about your Easter bookings and have that discussion with your family and ultimately with the company that can make the booking for you as well,” he said.

“I want to say thank you very much to the SES workers, to the council workers, to the emergency service workers otherwise that we’ve met with this morning.”

More than 22,000 insurance claims have already been lodged for flood and cyclone damage.

In Queensland, 20,665 claims have now been lodged, most for home policies, while the number of claims from northern NSW is expected to rise over the coming days.

“Claim numbers are rising daily with people assessing the damage to their properties and businesses,” said Insurance Council of Australia CEO Andrew Hall.

“Today’s spike in claims was very much expected and in line with this stage in the recovery process.”