Brisbane floods: Premier under fire for shutting down schools

Schools are closed across South East Queensland despite a “partly cloudy” forecast, after the Premier sparked chaos and confusion with “mixed messages”. VOTE IN OUR POLL

Schools will be closed across South East Queensland today despite a forecast of “partly cloudy” conditions for Brisbane.

Serious warnings of severe weather yesterday sparked calls for all southeast Queenslanders to stay home and for schools to close.

But last night the official forecast was for most southeast areas to be partly cloudy, with the chance of a shower and the chance of an afternoon thunderstorm, possibly severe.

The updated forecast only added to the chaos and confusion for Queensland parents.

“Mixed messages” on whether children should be picked up from school as soon as possible sparked chaos yesterday.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said at a morning press conference, after two emergency meetings, that parents in the northern Moreton Bay region, Sunshine Coast, Gympie, Wide Bay and north to Bundaberg should pick their children up from school as soon as was safe to do so.

But a social media post shortly after – since deleted – indicated it applied to all southeast schools.

Many parents received calls from schools in Brisbane and on the Gold Coast advising they should come and collect their children when they could.

It came just hours after many had arrived for morning drop-offs in Brisbane, only to be told their school was already closed following violent storms that morning.

Ms Palaszczuk also urged all southeast Queenslanders to stay home today, with schools only open for the children of essential workers amid initial forecasts of “extremely unstable” weather conditions.

The decision to close schools was based on advice from police and the state disaster co-ordinator, who work in conjunction with the Bureau of Meteorology.

It is understood conversations were held during the Queensland Disaster Management Committee meeting around the potential for life-threatening situations if storms coincided with school pick-up or drop-off and heavy school traffic.

Authorities were concerned wild weather and resultant flash flooding could necessitate the rescue of children from cars, warning that the sodden catchments could mean even a normal summer storm could lead to abnormal flooding.

It’s understood Queensland Fire and Emergency Services and Queensland Police Service representatives were particularly concerned about the potential for dangerous rescue situations.

“It is extremely unstable weather conditions and as a precaution we would like people to collect their children when they think it is safe to go out on the roads and do so but they are safe at school until they can come and collect them,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

The Government was slammed for its “mixed messages”, with Opposition education spokesman Christian Rowan saying it was “downright dangerous”.

Dr Rowan said many parents and teachers were left confused.

“In a disaster clear and calm messaging is vital,” he said.

Sarah Bell, with son Hamish, 2, picks up Cecilia, 8, and Louis, 5, from Newmarket State School yesterday. Picture: Steve Pohlner

Dr Rowan said he had been personally contacted by schools and people unsure about what to do thanks to “diabolical” messaging.

Education Minister Grace Grace said the safety of students and staff was paramount.

“Please listen into your local media stations and follow BOM warnings so you have all of the latest information, and stay safe,” she said.

Mother Sarah Bell, of Brisbane’s Newmarket, said the mixed messaging was frustrating.

“We were incredibly lucky in the floods so I can’t complain, but if you were in the middle of a clean up I can imagine it would be a bit hard to have to stop and pick your kids up early,” she said.

Dutton Park State School parent Otto Fischer said the first he heard of potential closures was collecting his children at 3pm.

“Pick-up was a bit spooky because usually there’s parents everywhere and kids on the playground but there was just no one there today,” he said.

Fellow Dutton Park parent Marina, who asked her surname be omitted, picked up her son early after her employer advised parents they could leave to do so.

Queensland Teachers’ Union president Cresta Richardson said the union backed the advice to close schools because the health and safety of its members and students was important.

The social media post that caused confusion for parents