Whitsunday Electorate, Floods

_{14 February, 2008}

Ms JARRATT (Whitsunday—ALP) (6.10 pm): It has been a torrid time in my electorate this week
with wild weather associated with a low pressure system causing flooding in Bowen, destruction of trees
and wildlife in Mackay’s northern beaches and life-threatening situations for boaties and tourists in the
Whitsundays. Even though police, emergency services and the council had prepared for bad weather
they had no hint of just how terrible the situation would become on Monday night as wild winds whipped
up huge waves in the normally calm bays around Airlie Beach, tossing boats, trees and even shipping
containers around like matchsticks.

When I spoke to my husband on Tuesday he was in shock from having seen boats that had
dragged their moorings to end up smashed on rocks, overturned, sunk, left high and dry or speared
through other boats. He likened the scene to a huge pod of whales, beached on the shore in varying
stages of life and death. It was a scene of utter devastation but worse news was starting to reach my
ears.

One of the vessels had been home to a family of six who were forced to abandon their boat as it
dragged anchor and was heading straight for nearby rocks. They may well owe their lives to the quick
thinking and courageous action of three local police officers who risked everything to bring the family to
safety. I add my thanks and praise to Sergeant Russell Pike, Constable Simon Docking and Constable
Bree Sonter who displayed enormous bravery in the face of real danger.

I also want to acknowledge the local accommodation provider who provided that family with
somewhere to stay and the Rotary Club of Airlie Beach, which has launched a fundraising effort to
provide a new boat for the family who lost everything when their much-loved home sank.

The Stone family were not the only ones battling for their lives on Tuesday morning. A group of 32
tourists and the crew of the charter yacht Romance, which had anchored off Hook Island, found
themselves on rocks and in danger of becoming victims of the wild seas. They were ultimately winched
to safety thanks to the generosity and bravery of the CQRESQ helicopter crew and the helicopter crew
from Townsville.

It is amazing how the community in the Whitsundays rallies together in times of crisis. I am so
grateful and proud of the staff of Hayman Island, the staff of Tourism Whitsunday, local tourism
operators and individuals like Blue from the Whitsunday Charter Boat Industry Association and Suzette
Pelt and Barb Adamson who went to enormous lengths to ensure that the charter boat passengers had
clothes, food and accommodation and the chance to take away great memories of the Whitsundays.

I am also pleased that the shire has been allocated the necessary declaration to allow the
Department of Communities to activate its emergency relief program. What a shame that the charter
boat operator did not contribute to the welfare of the travellers following their rescue. The company,
Tallorook, was conspicuous by its absence in the provision of assistance and this has done nothing to
recommend that company to would-be charter boat passengers.

Fortunately, there are many reputable charter boat operators to choose from in the Whitsundays
but, as the saying goes, people will usually get what they pay for and cheapest is not always best. I look
forward to getting home tomorrow and doing what I can to help with the clean-up.

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