Protesters dump cyclone-damaged belongings outside Qld parliament in Brisbane
People impacted by ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred have dumped wheelbarrows of flood-damaged toys, furniture and other belongings in a climate change protest outside Queensland parliament.
Brisbane City
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People impacted by ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred have protested at Queensland’s Parliament House, demanding action on climate change as they dumped wheelbarrows of flood-damaged toys, furniture and other belongings.
About 100 people gathered in Brisbane CBD on Thursday to share their experiences as the cyclone made landfall, bringing destructive winds and flooding in some places.
Queensland Conservation Council Director Dave Copeman, who led the protest, said more than 500,000 people in southeast Queensland had experienced the cyclone.
“They lost power. They were impacted by the fear and the uncertainty,” he said.
“This is the new normal, but we’re speaking out, because we can’t let it become something that is just tolerated.”
Mr Copeman called for increased funding for community resilience, an end to coal and gas as energy sources and a fast and fair transition to renewable energy.
Gold Coast mother Marie Carvolth said her son witnessed a tree falling onto her neighbours’ roof at Currumbin.
“My family sheltered inside for five long, scary days and nights in torrential rain and wind while trees and powerlines were brought down around our house,” she said.
“It was way more stressful and intense and went way longer than any normal weather event on the Gold Coast.
“It caused huge amount of disruptions, stress and costs to my family and my community.”
Moss Cluney, 21, of Kingscliff in New South Wales, said young people felt depressed and anxious about their future after experiencing the cyclone.
“We had to tape up our windows to make sure the gale force winds were not destroying our glass and destroying our house from the outside and had to sandbag so the water doesn't flood our houses,” he said.
“We were out of power for multiple days and hadn’t gotten signals either, and our family and friends were severely worried about our wellbeing.
“We have to go through the emotional drain and exhaustion of preparing for another cyclone that shouldn’t be hitting a subtropical region.”
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