Good and thoughtful article, Mr O'Dwyer.
Anna Bligh has indicated that previous flood level information was not reliable. Now the Qld Govt has the ability to record the data of the recent flooding and Qld and local Govt can record flood levels and associated plans. Local Govt Authorities can then provide those plans on their websites and in responses to inquiries from prospective purchasers and prospective tenants. It will also be easy in most cases to identify whether a particular plot of land is within the flood plans.
There should not be any excuse for the Govt not requiring disclosure now!

there's another question to ask....should we be building on flood-prone land at all?

it makes sense to me to have only temporary buildings on such land. however, the property developers who run australia, together with rupert and the mining giants, are unlikely to allow such sensible non-development.

nor would they allow limits on our exploding population - might put a dent in their profits!

expect business as usual.

Brennie....said"

nor would they allow limits on our exploding population - might put a dent in their profits!

expect business as usual.

It seems truth is just blossoming all over the place this week, and about time. Smaller and smarter! that's the winner for all concerned when the planet/Australia is in much need of repair.

More people in Australia will mean, the next time flood happens, 1000's will die......and the next time.....10.000 will die and on and on as population explodes out of control.

Population cap for QLD/Australia now!

So while the worlds life/supports systems are collapsing, you might want to take a little time off on your short lived profits.

Whats the point of making money, when you don't have a planet to spend it on?

Come on.... you capitalist brain-waves?



BLUE

Tim Dwyer.

Two observations:

The first is that Australia must be the only place in the world where there is only one estate agent, namely The Real Estate Institute.

This Institute has a branch in each State and Territory. It heads an army of thousands of strictly disciplined operatives controlling every movement in the field of real estate.

Australian governments, Federal, States and Territories, have no power to challenge the virulence of this army and the governmental body called Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) instituted to stamp out monopolies has been made impotent to deal with the crimes of the real estate institute delinquent clique.

Any enquire into the floods just experienced will cause additional damage if it does not break the monopoly of the Real Estate Institute of Australia.

The second observation relates to your sincere assessment of the legal profession extravagant intrusion into our social life.

Entering a law schools is entering a forum designed to instill in young minds the perception of privilege and the art of warfare.

The Warfare waged every day in the plethora of Courts of all descriptions where the gladiators (lawyers) exhibit their skills; the clients being only unfortunate incidentals and all others the disgusted audience.

And so, the grand theatre that is a Court of Law is essentially for lawyers and only Lawyers, in their variety of vestments.

Tim O'Dwyer

If the “glib” remark at the end of the article:

“Finally, the best news for owners of currently flooded properties is that white-ants probably can’t swim”! was meant as an amusement, it failed.

What follows is a reality check:

A young couple with four children (known to me personally) from Ipswich, whose house was flooded with 6m of water are (as you implied) the suckers from the south, bought their house three years ago and were unaware of the significance of flood events in that area of Brisbane, have now lost all their personal property to the floods, save a car and whatever could be crammed into it at the last minute, and rendered homeless in a day!

The house was structurally damaged and will likely require rebuilding. The Insurance company disputes the nature of the flooding, (if it were a flash flood or otherwise). If the young couple win the dispute with the insurance company, there is doubt they can cope with the added cost of rebuilding in a flood free area of Brisbane, and feel they will be forced to rebuild in the same flood zone leaving them to deal with a set of negatives associated with reselling the property in that known flood zone.

The young family ventured north to better their lot in Brisbane and have no family or relations in Queensland to fall back on, so are alone in their crisis. Including their four children, they are emotionally shattered and physically exhausted from the clean-up process, but both were compelled to return to work today; the need for money to maintain the integrity of the family and pay for temporary accommodation demands it.

I think white ants are a distant concern to them

Very sobering Dan.

A sadder part is that this solicitor also does not know anything about termites. They can actually survive floods reasonably well and get shifted around in wood and they like moister soil. Also chemical termite barrier treatments tend to get washed away putting all these homes at greater risk. A sad glib joke from a lawyer.