FLOOD RECOVERY - FRIDAY
UPDATED - 5.20PM FRIDAY 4/3/22
Take care when entering waterways
Council water quality testing has shown microbiological contamination levels in Noosa River, Laguna Bay and the open beaches are now within acceptable levels for recreational purposes.
Water levels along Gympie Terrace are still high and residents are reminded to take care when entering the water as sediment and debris may still pose hazards in local waterways, and elevated pollution levels are possible near stormwater outlets.
Patrolled beaches may be closed if Surf Lifesaving Queensland deems swimming and water recreation unsafe due to debris or dangerous surf conditions.
Unitywater has now advised their sewerage infrastructure is back online across Noosa.
Volunteer for Noosa’s ‘Care Army’
With so many offers of help from local residents keen to support Noosa’s flood recovery, Council has contacted Volunteering Queensland to create a local 'Noosa Care Army'.
You can help support the local clean-up by registering online as a volunteer with the Care Army
Anyone impacted by the floods and in need of help to clean up can email Council for volunteer assistance.
Pops-Up start Monday
Community Recovery Pop-Ups begin Monday to assist flood-affected Noosa locals.
Council’s Community Development Team and staff from the Queensland Government’s Department of Communities will be on hand to provide information about the assistance available.
Visit Council’s website for the list of times and locations.
North Shore vehicle ferry update
Over the weekend the Noosa North Shore vehicle ferry will continue to operate from first light until high tide, and resume operations in the afternoon.
The ferry is currently accommodating four-wheel-drive vehicles and cars, but at this stage is not able to transport trailers and caravans. As floodwaters continue to recede the arrangements may change.
Pontoons washed up
Several pontoons have washed up on Noosa’s eastern beaches.
Maritime Safety Queensland is inspecting each structure to assess the structural integrity of the pontoons before salvage works can commence.
Where possible, barricades have been put in place to keep people away and Council asks beachgoers to stay clear.
Council crews are out and about removing debris from beaches and coastal areas as the flood recovery continues.
EARLIER – 6.10PM THURSDAY 3/3/22
Hilton Terrace now open
Hilton Terrace and the Lake Doonella Bridge today reopened to traffic.
Staff assessed the road and bridge following this morning’s high tide and deemed them safe to open.
If the situation changes with more rain and rising tides, Council may need to close this section of road again. Staff continue to monitor the situation.
Council staff and consulting engineers are busy working to assess more than 95 current reports of damage to Noosa’s road network and other community assets.
Much of the damage is in the hinterland.
These assessments will take some time and Council will prioritise work and carry out repairs as soon as possible.
Roads must be made safe before vehicles are allowed back onto them.
Council and TMR are doing everything possible to reopen roads.
Residents’ patience is greatly appreciated.
For current road closures, see the Disaster Dashboard
Recovery Pop-Ups postponed
The launch of planned Recovery Pop-Ups to assist flood-affected residents has been postponed until Monday due to the threat of further severe weather.
The new timetable is now available.
Vehicle ferry will operate again tomorrow
The Noosa North Shore vehicle ferry operator will continue operations tomorrow as early as possible.
It will stop again during high tide and resume in the afternoon.
The ferry is only transporting four-wheel-drive vehicles still, however it may be able to take some small cars where possible.
Waste disposal assistance continues
Council’s waste team has been contacting residents in areas greatly impacted by the disaster to provide them with onsite options for waste disposal.
If you have not been directly contacted yet and your home was inundated by water or otherwise seriously damaged by the disaster over the past week and you need assistance to dispose of disaster-damaged household items and materials or debris to make your home safe, habitable, and accessible, please contact Council on (07) 5329 6500.
EARLIER – 11.30AM THURSDAY 3/3/22
Residents urged to monitor weather warnings
With the region still in the firing line for forecast severe weather, residents should continue to check the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) website and Council’s Disaster Dashboard for updates.
Road closures
Hilton Terrace remains closed this morning and crews will make further assessments after high tide to determine when it may be able to be reopened.
Residents should limit travel as much as possible while roads are still closed.
Water levels are expected to slowly drop over the next three-to-five days with small fluctuations continuing around the high and low tides.
The Noosa North Shore vehicle ferry hopes to resume operations this afternoon. Again at limited capacity and only for a short period.
Due to challenging river levels, a decision about if and when it operates on Friday will be made later today.
See the Disaster Dashboard for road closure updates
Recovery Pop-Ups begin tomorrow
Community Recovery Pop-Ups begin tomorrow to assist flood-affected Noosa locals.
Council’s Community Development Team and staff from the Queensland Government’s Department of Communities will be on hand to provide information about the assistance available.
Community Recovery Pop-Up times and locations are as follows:
- Federal Hall – Friday, 4 March, 10am-3pm
- Lake Entrance Boulevard (door knock) – Friday, 4 March, 10am-12pm
- Noosaville Library – Friday, 4 March, 10am-4pm
- Kin Kin Rural Fire Service carpark – Saturday, 5 March, 9am-3pm
- Noosa North Shore (outside General Store) – Saturday, 5 March, 9am-3pm
- Boreen Point Esplanade – Sunday, 6 March, 9am-4pm
- Pomona Community House – Monday, 7 March, 9am-4pm
- Cooran Skatepark – Monday, 7 March, 9am-4pm
- Cooroy Library – Monday, 7 March, 9am-4pm
Bins for flood-affected areas
Council staff have begun deploying additional bins to flood ravaged areas to assist residents during the clean-up. Wheelie bins were delivered to Black Mountain to assist residents in their rubbish removal.
EARLIER - 5.20PM WEDNESDAY 2/3/22
Community Recovery Pop-Ups to help flood victims
Council staff will run Community Recovery Pop-Ups/information centres in liaison with Department of Communities, starting Friday, March 4.
Friday’s locations are:
- Federal Hall - 10am-3pm
- Noosaville Library - 10am -4pm
Staff have been at Pomona and Noosa North Shore today conducting more than 250 welfare checks.
Waste team contacting residents most-impacted by floods
Council’s waste team is contacting residents most impacted by the floods, including visiting them on-site or via phone or text.
Council continues to provide assistance, including waiving landfill fees for people whose houses were inundated and eligible flood victims facing financial hardship.
This will continue to happen on a case-by-case basis.
Skip bins are being deployed to some flood-ravaged areas across the shire, while others may get assistance to dispose of their rubbish.
Cleanaway has resumed kerbside bin collection services, but access is still an issue in some areas. Residents are asked to remain patient and leave bins out, if they’ve not yet been emptied.
Noosa North Shore car ferry operating
One of the Noosa North Shore ferries started operating again this afternoon at limited capacity, and only for four-wheel-drive vehicles.
The ferry operator hopes to continue operations tomorrow as early as possible before the tide rises. It will then stop and resume early-to-mid afternoon.
It cannot take caravans, boats, trailers or small cars at this stage, only four-wheel-drive vehicles.
Black Mountain Road school bus update
Translink has arranged an extra school bus service for students on the western side of the Black Mountain Road landslip.
It will transport students from either Federal State School or the intersection of Andersons Road and Middle Creek Road, depending on the destination.
On the eastern side, an operator has organised a pick-up area on Black Mountain Road. Translink has contacted students’ families directly regarding these arrangements. Call Translink on 07 5452 1800 for more information.
EARLIER - 11AM WEDNESDAY 2/3/22
Sister Tree Creek Road reopens
As Noosa’s flood recovery effort continues, Council is asking residents to again be patient on the roads.
As flood levels drop, staff are busy assessing roads for damage so that they can be safely reopened as quickly as possible once water recedes.
Kin Kin’s Sister Tree Creek Road reopened at 8pm yesterday, with residents asked to be careful while driving through the area.
Motorists travelling between Gympie and Cooroy are advised to go via Wolvi.
Kin Kin Road has reopened to light vehicles following bridge and pavement assessments.
The Department of Transport and Main Roads is reminding motorists that there is now a temporary 10-tonne load limit from Louis Bazzo Drive north to the gravel section at Como (north of Kin Kin).
School buses are exempt, and investigations are underway to determine options for community services such as refuse trucks.
For all local road closures, see Council’s Disaster Dashboard at disaster.noosa.qld.gov.au
Council staff are again at Pomona and Noosa North Shore today speaking with flood affected residents and arranging support.
Skip bins to be deployed to help flood-affected residents
Council is providing further assistance with skip bins to be located at specific locations for flood affected residents to use.
With access only now becoming available to some impacted areas, this will take some time to put in place.
Cooroy Transfer Station will open today and Thursday and continue to remain open through to Monday. Environmental Health Officers will be out and about this week providing advice to residents and businesses as the clean-up gets under way.
Public health advice
Residents should throw away any food that has been in contact with floodwater, unless it’s in undamaged waterproof containers such as tins and bottles.
Wash tins and bottles using one cup of household bleach to a bucket of water.
Rainwater tanks, particularly in-ground tanks, should be checked for flood water inundation, with contaminated water discarded and the tank disinfected.
Council will be working with QFES to wash down public infrastructure affected by floods such as parks and play equipment so the community can get back to using these facilities.
Swimmers should stay out of Noosa River and Laguna Bay for now, with pollutants likely to be above safe levels currently.
EARLIER - 10.45AM TUESDAY 1/3/22
Waste:
Council is working through a number of options to assist with waste removal in the hardest hit areas.
Where possible and safe to do so, residential wheelie bin collections are continuing across the shire.
- Residents should put out their general waste bin on their normal scheduled bin collection day.
- Residents whose recycling waste bin was not collected last week should also put it on this week's collection day.
- Kin Kin’s recycling collection is to be done on Saturday weather and access permitting. Kin Kin waste collection is to be done on scheduled day.
- If the bins don't get collected on their scheduled day this week then they should be left out until they can be safely collected.
If items are small and can be placed into your general waste bin then you should do so. If items are large or bulky they can be taken directly to Eumundi Rd landfill or a private contractor called to do this for you.
For those people with insurance, please contact your insurance company for advice however generally waste disposal of flood damaged items will be covered under your policy if you have flood/storm cover.
You will need to document (eg photograph) the flood damaged items and keep receipts for any costs in removing them and taking them to landfill.
If you have been severely impacted by the floods, please contact council’s customer service centre to see whether additional assistance is required such as large on-site bins.
People facing significant financial hardship will be assisted on a case-by-case basis.
Wash down help for residents
Council has identified a significant number of flood-affected Noosa Council residents and businesses who may require assistance from Queensland Fire and Emergency Services - QFES to help wash down their homes or businesses.
A list of flood-affected properties has beengiven to FES, but some may have been missed in the initial asessment.
QFES will work through the area systematically to address the washdowns – which is not a quick process.
If you think you may have been missed, please contact the Council call centre 5329 6500 so your details can be logged and passed on to QFES.
Community Response:
Council staff are heading to Noosa North Shore and Pomona today to chat with flood-impacted residents.
It is an opportunity to undertsand the extent of the situation and assess what assistance is required.
Road closure in Kin Kin:
A hydrologist will be on site today in Kin Kin to assess a potential breach of a dam on a private property.
Sister Tree Creek in Kin Kin has been closed due to public safety.
There are concerns that the dam could cause flash flooding, resulting in damage to property and vehicles.
The closure is from Wahpunga Lane at the north end and Golden Gully on the south