Policeman co-ordinates state, federal forces
Jacqueline Maley and Dan Oakes
January 12, 2011
Deadly floods hit Queensland
Queensland's flood crisis intensifies with severe flash flooding. The Premier Anna Blight says many residents are in a 'very desperate and grim situation.'
THE Queensland Police Service, led by the Deputy Commissioner, Ian Stewart, is co-ordinating the enormous and logistically complex flood relief effort that encompasses several government agencies, the defence forces and thousands of volunteers.
Each day of the relief effort, which comes under the auspices of the government agency Emergency Management Queensland, Mr Stewart convenes several meetings of the State Management Disaster Group, to update staff and agencies of the unfolding situation.
State government departments such as health, housing, treasury and community services sit in on the meetings. At a local level, every town has a disaster management team that includes the police, emergency services and any defence force assistance. There are also about 3000 State Emergency Service volunteers working across the flood-hit areas.
The Defence Department has formed a joint taskforce, commanded by Colonel Luke Foster, to deal with the state and federal government response.
The taskforce is deploying teams from the Gallipoli Barracks at Enoggera, in Brisbane, and includes personnel from all three services, as well as reservists. The Australian Defence Force has sent extra helicopters to Queensland to aid the search and rescue effort in the area around Toowoomba.
With dozens of people still unaccounted for after the devastating flash floods, the Defence Minister, Stephen Smith, said six extra helicopters would arrive in Queensland this morning, taking the Defence contribution to 15 aircraft and almost 200 personnel.
Both Mr Smith and the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, said yesterday that the resources of the Defence Force were at the disposal of the Queensland Premier, Anna Bligh.
''I have made it very clear to Premier Anna Bligh that any resource she needs from the Australian Defence Force will be made available to the people of Queensland to assist them during this very difficult period,'' Ms Gillard said.
The decision to send the extra helicopters was made yesterday following discussions between Mr Smith and the Chief of Defence Force, Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston. Already three army Black Hawk helicopters, two navy Sea King helicopters, an army Chinook helicopter, two RAAF B350 King Air planes and a RAAF C-130 Hercules are involved.
Mr Smith said two additional Black Hawks had been assigned to the operation and would be based at Amberley, as would four Kiowa light helicopters, which Mr Smith said were ''particularly well-suited for the operation and search and rescue''.
(My boldface.)
One is tempted to add "...just as they are
particularly well-suited - far moreso than the high tech, high cost rotary wing assets the ADF is buying - to 90% of operational Army support missions."