 Right, to go ladies and gentlemen, okay, well ladies and gentlemen, Central and South-East Queensland is facing a very significant challenge of course from this weather system and the South-East is now bearing the brunt. The system has actually picked up speed, clearing Gladstone overnight, heading through Bundaberg and if you look at the weather radar you can actually see quite dramatically how that is moving very much at a much more rapid pace into northern New South Wales. Of course it has sadly left a trail of destruction behind it, very significant flooding. It's sad to say that the people of Bundaberg are now this afternoon preparing for worse flooding than in 2010, 2011. Right now we are seeing some evacuations in that city, I'll talk more about that in a moment. I have been up to Bundaberg and Bagara this morning with the local government minister David Christopher Lee and local member Jack Dempsey, the police emergency services minister of course, Stephen Bennett, the local state member Paul Neville, federal member for Hinkler and we have toured with Mayor Mal Forman, the waterfront area of Bagara and also looked at some of the low-lying areas in Bundaberg. I was saddened to meet a couple, Andrew and Michelle, and go into their home which had essentially been ripped apart to see their completely crushed caravan, their car that had been completely damaged, the significant damage to the house and their personal effects and my heart goes out to them and we were able to give them a bit of advice and support as to what they needed to do next and what help they could expect from both their local disaster management group and the state government. The system is now predicted to move into northern New South Wales. We will be seeing heavy rainfalls along the coast and wind speeds of up to 130 kilometres an hour. Another issue of significance I just quickly make the point on is that the Australian Defence Force are on standby, but breaking information is that two helicopters have been tasked to assist the effort up in Bundaberg this afternoon. So let's now go to Gladstone and then move in detail from Gladstone south to Coulomb Gata. Firstly, dealing with Gladstone, Mayor Gale Sellers and her team have had the brunt of this over the last 24 to 36 hours. We have seen 20 houses inundated at Tannum Sands in that vicinity and 20 houses at Benarevi. There have been a number of evacuation centres set up, including the local PCYC. Talking now to a longer dam, we are seeing very dramatic levels of water in that dam, 8.5 metres above the normal water level, discharge down that spillway, but also the saddle dam that we spoke about yesterday has been overtopped and it is eroding as it is meant to, with water now going down that flow path as well. The dam at this stage is all holding up well. I want to announce that the Acting Premier and Treasurer Tim Nichols and the local government minister David Christopherly will be heading to Gladstone shortly to see at first hand how the effort is going there and to provide any support that Mayor Gale Sellers needs. If I turn now in more detail to Bundaberg, as I said before, the flood levels are expected to easily exceed the 2010 levels. We are seeing evacuations in Bundaberg North and I believe Bundaberg East. Gingen and Childers are also isolated and we expect overall at least 300 homes and 100 businesses to be inundated in Bundaberg. The government is in regular contact with Male Form and the Mayor and his team and I dropped in at their local disaster management group meeting just to give them some ideas about the path ahead. Turning now to Gimpy and Mary Burrow. Mayor Ron Dine at Gimpy and his team are sadly well practised in dealing with floods and I know they will rally as they always have to deal with the impacts particularly in the downtown CBD area. There is a man missing near Gimpy after being swept away near Wedgie Creek and two others were rescued after being swept away at the same time and the Bruce Highways Cut at Traveston Crossing. Turning to Mary Burrow, I've on a couple of occasions spoken to Mayor Gerrit O'Connell, a new Mayor, who is about to be tested and his team about to be tested for the first time of this period since the last Council election. We do expect a flood in Mary Burrow. Emergency services are searching for a young woman who reportedly drove into waters near Pacific Haven this morning and we have grave is for her safety. Tornado is also reported having touched down at Burrum Heads up to the West North West of Harvey Bay around 4am this morning. No major injuries have been reported. A number of the surrounding towns near Burrow have been isolated. There have been houses in and out at all the shot Pacific Haven, Howard and Torvenley up the Bruce Highway. Moving now to the Sunshine Coast, I also spoke to Mayor Jameson around 24 hours ago and indicated that he had my full support, but that he and his team need to particularly be looking at what was going to be happening over the next few days. We have seen very strong winds at Maloula Bar. Kin Kin is isolated up north west of Nusa and the current report is there's 23,000 homes without power, although I expect that will rise. Turning now to Brisbane, I know Lord Mayor Graham Quirk has been active with community messages and he has geared up his local disaster management group. We expect in the Brisbane, Greater Brisbane area, very high rainfalls over the next 24 hours. We're seeing the system though then moving on by mid-Nonday. The coastal areas around Morton Bay and of course the impacts on the Brisbane River, we've talked about, we will see high tides there that will cause potentially backing up of creeks and also those low-lying areas down on the Bayside will see inundation. And again, I stress that there is a very great threat right across South East Queensland from these local creeks. There are around 11,500 homes without power in Brisbane. If I just then quickly give you the overall Energex figure across the region, it is about 58,000 homes without power, but that number is continuing to go up every half an hour or so when we get an update. Turning to Ipswich, we expect high rainfall over the next 24 hours and Kilcoy and Esk have been isolated. Finally, Gold Coast Lockyer Valley can expect heavier rainfall today and very strong winds 130 kilometres an hour. And again, Mayor Tom Tate and his team are gearing up to deal with potential flooding on the Naurang River and low-lying areas off the Gold Coast. Just to wrap this up, I have four parents with kids who will be going back to school. A call will be made tomorrow, an announcement made about the opening of school and I just ask our parents to keep their ears and eyes open for that announcement. Finally, ladies and gentlemen, again, please heed the warnings and I will go through them. Do not swim in flooded creeks or stormwater drains. Do not drive across flooded bridges or causeways. Stay away from fallen power lines. Please don't go down to the beach and enjoy the great surf conditions. It's not the time. The surf lifesaving association or Apsley Adamant, they don't want to risk their members' lives helping someone who's just on a bit of a lark. Ladies and gentlemen, I'm now happy to take questions but do the BOM just want to quickly add in before I do? Just to bring you up to date on the very latest information as far as the weather goes, the heaviest rain is currently falling just inland from the Sunshine Coast. Very heavy rainfalls have upwards of 200 millimetres since 9am this morning but the system, as the Premier said, the system is moving south. There are still warnings out, severe weather warnings out. There will be very damaging winds, destructive winds this afternoon across the South East. The Bureau is doing its final modelling for the Bremmer River and the Brisbane Rivers and we expect to be able to release some modelling figures later this afternoon to the local disaster management groups to work with about the potential for flooding across those rivers. We also are particularly concerned down in the South East around the Gold Coast about heavy rain continuing hundreds of millimetres down there over the next 24 hours. We do feel that the system is slipping south. There is every chance that it will move down into New South Wales by tomorrow and that we should be on an easing trend. The good news as well is that we don't see any follow-up systems in the next week or so. So after this rain clears we should be able to track these flood waters down. Thanks, Paul. Over to you, ladies and gentlemen. Premier, will there be any changes in the water releases from the dams? It's likely that Seq Water, as they see the inflows going into the dams from quite significant rain in the catchment, will in accordance with the flood or the dam manuals actually increase those outflows. That is quite likely. If you recall yesterday they were discharging less than 500 cubic metres a second. Overnight I think they went up to just under 1,000 cubic metres a second. Are you active at last? Well what's happened is that the government, as I said yesterday, has given them very clear advice about our position in relation to some of the parameters that they consider when making their decisions. Clearly we don't have water supply problems right now. So we have said, look, we're not concerned now about water supply considerations. The other thing we said to them is that we have no issue, no problem at all with downstream road crossings such as Colleges Crossing being blocked by flood waters. So we gave them that guidance. After that it's up to them. They have statutory responsibilities that they fulfil. The only direction that has been given to them in the formal sense has been the minister's designation gazetal of a lower full supply level at the 88% level. The speed of the system is moving. Is that a glimmer of hope in all of this? That's the way I'm seeing it because when I flew up this morning to Bunderburg it was completely socked in all the way up there. The whole way we were in cloud. There was lots of rain at Bagara when we were down at the waterfront there. But on the way home things were clearing up and that is good because it means we just hopefully see an end to the rain as soon as possible in the South East Queensland area and that would be great. I think we've had more than enough by now. Do you have any further details on the 27-year-old who's missing from Wichita? Was it a... they drove into the water? I'm not sure. The commissioner may have some information on that. Commissioner? No, thank you Premier. Thanks ladies and gentlemen. I understand that the vehicle with that person inside drove into the water. Two people were rescued okay but whereas the 27-year-old is still missing and we're looking for him. Unfortunately I don't know. I haven't had a chance to even brief the Premier on this. It appears that they are just recent use of a body of an elderly male being recovered from the water at Burnett Heads and that's as much information I have at this time. Commissioner, have the police made any arrests in relation to sort of all crime behaviour? Not that I'm aware of at this time. But do you think people have been behaving well in general? Unfortunately and I know the Premier stressed this yesterday and gave his support to the police that if anyone does anything that endangers the lives including of other members of the community or the emergency services that we will take full action as your police department against those people. Certainly there have been people, even young people doing silly things and that includes going into flooded waters to have a swim for instance. That's unacceptable to all of us. Premier, you said earlier you've been communicating with Prime Minister's office. Oh look, I guess the Prime Minister contacted me in the last 36 hours made contact and obviously offered her full support. The support of the federal government and I greatly appreciate that. I understand that the Deputy Prime Minister and Treasurer and local member, Wayne Swann will be coming to this emergency service complex shortly and I hope to have a quick chat with him then. I've also basically communicated directly with the Prime Minister by text message overnight letting her know how things were going. At this stage I have no issues or anything that I'm sure they can't fulfil. Yes I do but I don't intend to give out any further detail because I'm not aware of his next to kin being advised at this stage. Not to my knowledge and that's on going as well. Ladies and gentlemen, one thing I think I should just stress at this stage is that what's happening now in South East Queensland is a developing situation. I undertake to get any information that the BRM, South East Queensland and water the councils have to the community as soon as we have it. But I just stress that we are right in the middle of this now. It is still coming down. I can hear it bucking down on the roof as we speak as a matter of fact but we will get information to the community and so I just again urge them to listen into radios, watch TV etc. It's the afternoon though to be at home watching a DVD or reading a book. Not driving around on the roads. I meant to say that earlier on. Look, obviously this morning on the ground of the gar and burn at heads and the overall Bundaberg community is shocked and devastated to have the impact of many tornadoes coming and crossing the coast in their suburbs and ripping apart their homes and whilst they're getting over that shock we now have the double blast of extra flood waters that are coming into the Bundaberg suburbs which will affect many people. Now, Bundaberg community are strong and the local disaster management group are certainly working hard and the mayor and we've obviously sent, we know asked to Australian Defence Force helicopters to head in that direction to give assistance but what people can do themselves and we've seen at first hand only this morning is please if it's flooded, forget it. I have swift water rescue crews still going to unnecessary people who are playing in creeks and drains. We have police attending and being taken away from other emergency issues and people are simply going out sightseeing and looking at areas as the Premier just stated please stay at home read a book, have your plans in place. Remember if it's flooded forget it. If you need assistance from the SES 1-3-2-500 check on road conditions and make sure you can do as much as you can to look after your family and friends they've just come to an Australia day long weekend and it's typical to look after our mates and that's what we'll continue to do in the Bundaberg area and particularly in these small communities of Burnett Heads, Bagara Cooner and as well as we had obviously down to Harvey Bain. How many residents have been there? Sorry? Well there's been a situation where one of the crew had lost their gear or something. We had 21 swift water activations of the five people who had to have assistance getting out of drains and flood water and a lot of them are simply avoidable and we know we're coming to the end of school holidays and we just ask everyone to have a little bit of common sense look after each other and let police and other emergency services and our hard work and volunteers get on with the job of looking after their communities not being distracted away to unnecessary jobs. What are those area shoppers specifically and what will they do? They've been tasked to the Bundaberg area and that will be obviously to assist the local disaster management group particularly in obviously in the areas of logistics whether we need support in and out of that particular area but at the moment it's in its infancy and it's about getting those resources into the right time. No, it's a matter of having those resources in that particular position should we need them in the future. That's what's constantly assessed and that's why we have a state disaster management coordination centre and we've had terrific work from the local disaster management groups and the disaster management group so that is continue to be assessed on a 24 hour basis as we work through all the issues in the local areas obviously areas in relation to the Bruce Highway, in relation to communication the issues that we had we've talked to recently but we're working through those issues and making sure that as far as from emergency response we are ahead of the game and making sure that people can have a peace of mind and we also know that we have a fully resourced and adequate emergency services in place to assist the community. Look obviously it's a time when we all pull together and even in the centre here we have many volunteers coming in and helping out and that's the Queensland way and we'll make sure that that keeps being maintained. Rob this might be a question for you but what is the likelihood of the White Bay area? We think that the threat has moved south now the actual right conditions for tornado development have come down towards the Brisbane area now so it should be clearing away from that White Bay area. Is it quite unusual to see that sort of activity I guess? It is unusual to have so many people who aren't unheard of here in Queensland in these kind of situations we do often see them around these big strong lows but to have so many in one area was very unusual and the same conditions have moved south now so we're just urging people to keep an eye out on the weather and stay indoors if you can. I know you don't have the river modelling yet but those people in Rosalie and Nelson who were on the news yesterday thinking oh here we go again do you think they can be we're still doing the final modelling but there's nothing to suggest in our modelling at the moment there will be anything like as bad as 2011 we're still doing the final modelling and working with SEQ Water to look at the water flows. I just add that you can be assured and I've sort of alluded to this before that as soon as we have forecast and modelling completed on any scenario, on any part of the state, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast whatever we will release that information and go to great lengths to try and explain to people how they can use that to protect themselves and their families so as it's worked up we will provide it to the community New South Wales is under alert at the moment for damaging weather moving south towards Sydney even. This particular low pressure system had a birth in the Gulf it's done the remarkable trip from Cape York Peninsula devastating parts of Queensland and it also will pose a threat to the coast of New South Wales as well so while it's good news it's leaving the Queensland post codes people in New South Wales are on alert for potential flooding and damaging winds and dangerous waves It is transitioning into a different kind of system but in terms of the amounts of rainfall it would be very hard to be getting up to a metre of rain or one and a half metres of rain we've had here but the bottom line is for New South Wales they are under flood watch as well for many rivers along coastal parts of New South Wales and the potential of damaging winds and dangerous surf and damaging surf is there so I urge people to keep an eye on the Weather Bureau's website listen to advice from the Bureau of Meteorology in New South Wales and the New South Wales State Emergency Service Throughout the afternoon there certainly is and into the evening there is still the risk of these destructive winds to have small areas so there is that potential of tornado development Do you get any sort of warning then like can we see a tornado through developing on the radar? There are sometimes indications on the radar that are very subtle but these particular storms or showers yesterday coming through that carried these tornadoes were moving at nearly 100 kilometres now of themselves so by the time they are on the radar they are moving fast and coming through and beneath these showers we will get this rotation causing the area so we will be monitoring our radars throughout the afternoon and trying to keep people abreast of any developments when we see them I'm not sure 5 or 6 there was certainly one overnight and a potential one earlier over the Sunshine Coast as well these systems don't always cause tornadoes but with so much wind aloft 130 kilometres an hour winds just above the surface the potential is there and we've seen already even without the tornadoes the potential for damaging winds is there and heavy squally showers move across the south east this afternoon that's my understanding the task has been confirmed and they'll be doing that you might want to go directly to them to get what they expect in relation to the arrival time oh look no the Prime Minister has essentially said look you tell me what you need and I'll be there to support you that's great so it's up to us here in Queensland to work out the extent of any requirement for support and let them know so I stress that it's up to us to let them know and that is one of the big jobs of the state disaster management group and the cabinet disaster committee that just met to actually look at what's happening next what has to happen in terms of recovery that's exactly our role and I have stressed that too the state disaster management people and the cabinet this afternoon so people are planning for what they're going to need and we will be making those requests so you could expect us to make requests for support from people from the units at inaugural and we're working on that right now similarly you'd see us if we need them asking for support from say Victoria or New South Wales and SES units Premier, someone's tweeted a photo of that freaking water ranging in there any good on Swinburne and the Lockheed out here? Not other than what I've already said if you go to what the BOM has already said they have said that they've got alerts for Whirl Creek, the Lockheed the Bremmer River so that's all out there and there are heavy rainfalls occurring no I don't have anything like that we'll get the bean counters involved in that at the end of the day Are there any plans to watch the state government float here? Yes there is and I'll make an announcement about that short about how we're going to do that I think that's very important in these circumstances I'd like to just sort of make one other point as well ladies and gentlemen and that is the role of local government in the way the disaster management system has worked in this state and the mayor's have a very important role and they bear the initial brunt of any disaster in the area and they have been doing that and working effectively I have been encouraging mayor's and I do so again publicly this afternoon to now think about the cleanup they can rally their communities and I would ask them to think about messaging in their local media about how they can pull their community together give people some clear pointers on how they can help one another to mobilise people to go off and start to do the cleanup The mud army in 2011 did a fantastic job we can see mud armies in places like Rockhampton Gladstone, Bundaberg etc and into the south east but the mayors are the ones who particularly have the ability to mobilise local communities in that way and I'd ask them to consider that strongly in the next few days Anything else?