Cyclone Alfred: SE Qld to shut down as storm makes landfall

South East Queensland will come to a standstill from Wednesday night, with public transport halted and offices and schools set to close.

South East Queensland will come to a standstill from Wednesday night, with public transport halted and offices and schools to close as Tropical Cyclone Alfred looms.

Brisbane City Council buses will stop running after the last service on Wednesday, with ferries already docked on dry land until further notice.

Trains operated by Queensland Rail will stop running once wind speeds reach 90km/h or when the cyclone is within 200km or 10 hours from making landfall – which the Bureau of Meteorology forecasts show will be about 7am on Friday.

The 79m tall Gateway Bridge – officially the Sir Leo Hielscher Bridges – will also shut when wind speeds hit 90km/h, the state government confirmed.

Damaging 90km/h winds will also force the council-owned Story Bridge, Walter Taylor Bridge and Go Between Bridge to close, alongside pedestrian connectors at Kangaroo Point, Indooroopilly and Breakfast Creek.

Scenes from Brisbane’s Covid-19 lockdowns are set to be repeated.

Premier David Crisafulli said schools would close on Thursday and Friday across South East Queensland’s cyclone-impacted areas.

Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner called for residents to hunker down at home on Thursday and Friday.

Already Brisbane council staff – except field workers – have been told to begin working from home.

Only red-top bins in Brisbane will be collected on Wednesday, with all services to halt on Thursday.

Bin collections in the City of Moreton Bay Council area have already ceased.

The latest information from Translink showed buses to and from the Redlands had also stopped operating from Tuesday, amid expectations drivers would not be able to come into work.

The Brisbane CBD is set to become a ghost town for the first time since Covid-19 lockdowns as workers have been told to stay home. But public servants don’t yet have a clear word, with Public Sector Commissioner David Mackie saying a decision would be made in coming days.

Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner outlines cyclone preparations on Tuesday. Picture: John Gass

“Advice based on the current weather system modelling is that the Queensland public sector will continue business as usual Wednesday,” he said.

“Future workforce arrangements will continue to be updated in line with the most recent weather intelligence.”

Queensland’s court system has also not yet officially declared cyclone-related closures. Numerous business and political events have been cancelled, including a two-day conference by the Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council.

An energy summit scheduled to feature a keynote address by Treasurer David Janetzki has also been postponed.

A Business Chamber spokeswoman said the cyclone would likely create emotional and financial challenges for businesses.

Federal Treasurer and Logan-based MP Jim Chalmers said there would be an economic cost and hit to the budget post-Alfred, but his primary focus was on making sure Queenslanders were prepared for the heavy weather event.