School communities rally in flood disaster

18 January 2011

Inundated ... Condamine State School surrounded by floodwaters.

Many Queensland state schools have been inundated as Queensland battles its worst ever floods disaster.

The facilities at 92 state schools were affected and the grounds at a further 26 schools were inundated.

Six TAFE institute campuses have also been affected.

Some 100 early childhood services have been reported as affected by either facility damage, grounds inundation or no access due to floodwaters.

The Emerald campus of the Capricornia School of Distance Education suffered facilities inundation, while in Brisbane the Languages Other Than English Centre at West End was rendered inaccessible by floodwaters.

Most Queensland schools will be reopening for the start of the 2011 school year on Monday 24 January 2011.

The Department of Education and Training is working closely with flood-affected schools and their local communities to restore classrooms, grounds and facilities for the start of the year.

Schools that have been badly affected by the floods are being assessed on a case-by-case basis and contingency plans are being put into place where required.

Education and Training Minister Geoff Wilson said: 'It is important to get students back into schools as soon as it is safe to do so, to provide a sense of normality and stability for them and their families during this difficult time.'

Across Queensland, department staff and school communities have been rallying to track and repair damage and clean up as floodwaters recede, only to have them return in some centres with devastating consequences.

State schools are playing their part in the disaster response, with 10 being used as evacuation/recovery centres, one as a Red Cross centre and another as an SES response centre.

Director-General Julie Grantham expressed her admiration for the dedicated response of department staff in often harrowing circumstances.

'There are thousands of our staff out there who have lost homes and possessions, been stranded, or have family who have been badly affected,' she said.

'We have been inspired and moved by the stories of our staff's courage, bravery, determination, selflessness and heartbreaking losses during this crisis.

'Our staff have been working in recovery teams, others are State Emergency Service volunteers. I know in the coming weeks we will learn more about what our people have been doing behind the scenes to support their communities.'

Ms Grantham said damage to buildings, grounds and other resources would run into many millions of dollars, but that should never be allowed to overshadow the human cost of a disaster which rapidly escalated from trauma to tragedy.

Twenty lives had been confirmed lost by Tuesday January 18.

Ms Grantham said the safety of staff was always of paramount importance to the department. 'I would remind everyone of this. Please take care of yourselves if you are travelling in any of the affected areas and take heed of any warnings by authorities,' she said.

'This disaster is far from over, but we are beginning the recovery process. We know this will take time.

'I would like to thank everyone for their cooperation during this crisis. I know this is a difficult time for so many and the level of professionalism that has been demonstrated by staff has been exemplary.

'I thank not only those staff in the disaster areas, but also those in other parts of the state who have had to shoulder more of the burden and have offered support to their colleagues to make sure our important business continues.

'I would like to remind staff that special leave provisions are available to those who are prevented from attending their normal place of employment because of the floods.

'For those people who are unable to access their place of work, or who require more time to clean up and repair their homes or look after loved ones who have been affected, up to five days of special leave are available. If you require more than five days, please speak to your supervisor about leave arrangements.'

Details of special leave arrangements are contained in Department of Education and Training Directive 08/06 and Industrial Relations Directive 18/09.

The latest information about flooding in Queensland – including where to get help, flood affected areas, weather and emergency alerts, power outages, traffic and travel information, national park closures and how to donate to the Premier's Disaster relief appeal – is available on a dedicated Queensland Government website.

A full list of affected state schools is being updated regularly on the Department of Education and Training's natural disasters website.

In includes information on affected areas, health issues, special leave provisions for department staff, employee support, hardship assistance and returning to the workplace.