‘Sitting ducks’: Crisafulli doubles down on BOM criticism

David Crisafulli doubled down on criticism of the Bureau of Meteorology, with the Queensland premier again blaming the federal agency’s flood gauge system and radar coverage for failing to provide sufficient information during flooding disasters.

Crisafulli delivered the broadside during a tour of rural regions in central Queensland, where flash flooding near Clermont wiped out 50,000 head of cattle and triggered a number of swift-water emergency rescues.

The trail of destruction comes after ex-cyclone Koji made landfall in north Queensland. The weather system crossed the coast between Ayr and Bowen about 10am on Sunday, just after being downgraded from a category 1 cyclone.

Crisafulli has repeatedly criticised the bureau’s radar range and communication tools throughout the wet season, initially labelling the service as flawed when south-east Queensland residents were caught off-guard by severe storms in October.

On Tuesday, he said outdated rain gauges and stretched radar coverage in remote regions meant residents were sitting ducks during disasters.

“In many cases, you’ve got areas where you’ve got two radars so far apart that you’ve got areas that aren’t covered,” Crisafulli said.

“It hasn’t had the investment in facilities and you wouldn’t cop it if it was in a capital city.

“There is no world that says if there was a couple of streets in Sydney or Melbourne where they weren’t given information that could put them in harm’s way, that that wouldn’t be fixed by lunchtime – that’s the truth.”

Crisafulli said the blame did not lie with the bureau but with a lack of investment in resources for far north Queensland dating back multiple federal governments.

“Information is the difference between life and death and communities are flying blind because there hasn’t been the investment in things like rain gauges and in many places, radar to warn of the impending danger,” he said.

Regions west of the coast have been inundated by the recent weather system, with up to 200 millimetres falling in the worst-hit areas and more rain expected.

About 2.30am on Tuesday, a man driving a truck on the Gregory Highway near Clermont became trapped, with a swift-water emergency crew called to the scene.

Another vehicle with two men inside was found nearby by emergency teams, and the trio was rescued as both vehicles became submerged.

Thunderstorms as far south as Brisbane remained possible, but predictions from the bureau the capital could be soaked all week were downgraded by Monday night.

On Monday afternoon, nine people – four adults and five children – were rescued by a private helicopter on Fraser Lane in Clermont, and two others were recovered by the SES on Old Showgrounds Road.

At least nine other people in the area were rescued from vehicles and homes that day, and up to 100 homes were flooded.

Daniel Hayes from the Bureau of Meteorology said storms remained possible in the areas already hardest hit, and could drift as far south as Brisbane for the remainder of the week.

On Wednesday, the premier was grilled on the Today show about minister Amanda Camm – who is responsible for overseeing community recovery and represents the impacted seat of Whitsunday – being on an overseas holiday during the emergency.

“We’ve had different events over the course of the last couple of weeks, and I’ve been on the ground for all of them, and I lead that team,” Crisafulli said.

“To see the way that the SES and fire and police have been there as well, but also the way that ministers have worked together … I’m very proud of the response.”

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