Queensland has approved an “unprecedented” emergency planning declaration to support food, medicines and essential supplies getting into stores and onto shelves to prepare for Tropical Cyclone Alfred.
Shops, warehouses and transport depots in 21 local government areas spanning from Gladstone, Goondiwindi and the Gold Coast are now permitted to temporarily operate around the clock as the cyclone closes in on landfall.
The 21 Local Government Areas (LGA) included are:
Brisbane City Council
Bundaberg Regional Council
Cherbourg Aboriginal Shire Council
Fraser Coast Regional Council
Gold Coast City Council
Goondiwindi Regional Council
Gladstone Regional Council
Gympie Regional Council
Ipswich City Council
Lockyer Valley Regional Council
Logan City Council
Moreton Bay City Council
Noosa Shire Council
North Burnett Regional Council
Redland City Council
Scenic Rim Regional Council
Somerset Regional Council
South Burnett Regional Council
Southern Downs Regional Council
Sunshine Coast Council
Toowoomba Regional Council
Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning and Deputy Premier, Jarrod Bleijie, said this declaration was necessary to ensure essential businesses can restock supplies 24-hours a day.
“I’ve briefed the Queensland Disaster Management Committee of this emergency planning declaration, which will begin at 12:01am, Wednesday, March 5,” Bleijie said yesterday.
“This is a rare event and it’s the first time an emergency declaration has been announced before a natural disaster has hit Queensland.
“The emergency declaration will enable these businesses to restock 24/7.
“This includes shops, health care services, chemists, warehouses, transport depots and hardware supply businesses.
“Our primary goal is to supercharge the food and essential supply chains that are set to be affected by Cyclone Alfred.
“By temporarily lifting these restrictions, it will enable supermarkets to have more supply hit the shelves faster and empower supermarkets to continue to do all they can to meet the demand.
Bleijie said he’s written to the mayors advising of these changes.
The cyclone is expected to make landfall north of Brisbane by late Thursday, or early Friday, as a category 2 storm.
A wave of panic-buying at supermarkets has already stripped shelves in the south-east of the state and in northern NSW
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