2011 flood victims score huge compensation win in class action

The Queensland Government has been ordered to pay 20 per cent of compensation due to victims of the 2011 floods, as the class action fight for damages comes to a close.

The Queensland Government has been ordered to pay 20 per cent of compensation due to victims of the 2011 floods following one of Australia’s largest class actions.

Seqwater has been ordered to pay 50 per cent of the compensation and Sunwater 30 per cent.

The class action, by Maurice Blackburn Lawyers, is expected to provide a compensation package of hundreds of millions of dollars to flood victims.

An aerial view of houses and properties surrounded by floodwaters in the Pullenvale area.

The findings were delivered in the New South Wales Supreme Court shortly after 2pm this afternoon.

These findings follow the November 29, 2019, judgment in the Supreme Court which found in favour of the plaintiff and group members who alleged dam engineers mismanaged dams during the 2011 floods.

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That mismanagement was alleged to have contributed to the massive damages caused by the floods.

On February 28, 2020, Seqwater and SunWater each lodged an appeal against the court’s November 29 judgment.

The State of Queensland has confirmed that it will not be appealing the November judgment.

However, it is open to the Queensland Government to appeal today’s decision that it pay 20 per cent of the compensation.