How flood victims can defer their loan repayments
Flood-devastated Queenslanders will be able to defer loan repayments for up to three months as they work to get back on their feet.
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Flood-devastated Queenslanders will be able to defer loan repayments for up to three months while they tackle the mammoth clean-up and work to get back on their feet.
The significant and welcome decision would apply to home loans, personal loans and some business loans according to the Australian Banking Association.
ABA chief executive Anna Bligh, who was Queensland’s premier during the 2011 floods, said deferral would give “some financial peace of mind” as people begin the “long slow recovery” out of the latest disaster.
Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg welcomed the move and said similar assistance during the beginning of Covid-19 showed it was “incredibly important”.
The banks involved include Australia’s big four Westpac, ANZ, Commonwealth Bank and NAB, alongside others like Bank of Queensland, Suncorp and Bendigo and Adelaide.
The temporary relief comes as weather experts warn the southeast could be lashed by up to 150mm of rain during a “super cell” storm on Thursday.
But unlike last week’s drenching this system would be fast-moving and would not sit over entire regions for hours.
Several severe thundstorms ripped through the South East on Wednesday night, with a 93km wind gust recorded at Dalby Airport and giant hail measuring about 5cm recorded at Windera, in the South Burnett.
Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Felim Hanniffy said the forecast storms for Thursday could result in “some high-end, severe activity”, which he described as a potential super cell development.
“(There’s a) risk of some pretty intense, dangerous thunderstorm activity with significant rainfall,” he said.
“You could see anywhere from 20 to 80mm across the southeast.
“Some of the more intense storms could drop 100-150mm.”
Queenslanders have been warned of flash flooding with thunderstorms expected during the afternoon and into the evening.
They will likely move north from the Gold Coast, to Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast and Wide Bay area.
Residents began the arduous task of cleaning up their homes on Wednesday as authorities considered whether hotel quarantine rooms could be used by displaced Queenslanders.
In Brisbane river peaks had fallen from over 3m to 2.45m Wednesday morning and a peak of 2.26m was expected this morning.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the government’s Wellcamp quarantine facility was a temporary accommodation option.
Speaking about the forecast storms, Ms Palaszczuk urged everyone to monitor BOM’s updates.
“We’re not out of the woods, there’s still some concern out there,” she said.
Meanwhile hundreds of Logan residents could be cut off from their homes for days as water in the flood-ravaged community slowly recedes.
Logan River hit 11.5m on Tuesday which was above the 2017 peak in the wake of Cyclone Debbie.
Authorities estimate about 60 homes have been inundated, more than 200 properties have been affected and hundreds more still cut off because many roads are under metres of water.
State Emergency Service boats spent Wednesday ferrying supplies to isolated properties.
Logan Mayor Darren Power said a “huge clean-up” would be required.
He said he had spoken to many of the people at the evacuation centre who were struggling.
“A lot of them don’t have insurance, so this will really knock them around,” he said.
“We’re working with the department of housing to try and get them taken care of.”
Residents in the Ipswich suburb of Goodna were finally able to return to their homes to assess the damage on Wednesday after metres of water inundated the community.
The suburb was one of the worst affected in the southeast and residents endured a nervous wait preparing for what they would find when roads reopened.
Nghi Pham, her brother Nhat and their father Van returned on Wednesday morning to find their two storey home on Layard Street had been inundated well into the top floor.
“The roads have been cut so we haven’t been able to get in until today,” she said.
“We just stood there staring at it and thinking where do we even start.”
Ms Pham and her family were rescued in a boat by the SES on Sunday night after being caught out by the swiftly rising water.
“It was really scary watching it come up so fast,” she said.
By the time the help arrived, water was lapping at the second last step to the second storey.
Nearby Goodna resident Judy Sinclair was busy hauling the destroyed contents of her Woogaroo Street home onto the kerb.
“I have two houses here and they both went under,” she said.
Her home was inundated with water three quarters of the way to the roof while the house she owns around the corner where her son lives had water up to the gutters.
“We weren’t expecting it to come this high,” she said.
Ms Sinclair’s two houses sit between the Brisbane River and Woogaroo Creek and water came from both sides.
Monica Malito was one of dozens of people helping with the clean-up effort.
“Our house is okay but a lot of our friends and family weren’t so lucky so we’re just doing what we can to help,” she said.
Ms Malito was volunteering with the enormous clean up at the Just Goodna Gym which was flooded with almost two meters of water.
General Manager Brandon Brown said they had only been able to access the gym for the first time on Wednesday morning with all roads into the community cut off by floodwaters.
Thick layers of mud caked the floors, walls and equipment, much of which was being hauled out for disposal by volunteers including staff, members, friends and strangers.
“Some of the people here helping we’ve only just met for the first time today,” Mr Brown said.
Mr Brown manages three facilities including the pools at Bellbowrie and Bundamba and said all three had been inundated by floodwaters.
Brisbane River peaked at 2.49m on Tuesday night, with Seqwater still expecting releases from Wivenhoe Dam to continue until Monday.
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