17-Jan-2011

SEQ Catchments will provide its 45 plus staff with two weeks paid leave to assist with clean-up operations across flood affected South East Queensland.

SEQ Catchments CEO, Simon Warner said: “Our first concern is for the community, and while there has been significant environmental damage we will address this once some normality has been restored.

“Our first priority is to assist the community, landholders, industry, and environmental groups across the South East, many of whom would be devastated by the floods.

“Thankfully all of our people are safe and accounted for and many have been isolated by flood waters, but are now busy across the region assisting with the clean-up.

“SEQ Catchments has suspended its normal operations for at least the next two weeks to allow our people, whether they are in the Lockyer Valley, Ipswich or Brisbane, to help with the clean-up.

“We have a strong team that has been with us since 2003 and over that time their dedication, loyalty, and commitment has built trust in their local communities.

“It’s heartbreaking to see the damage wrought across our catchment were we’ve worked for eight years and our people, many of whom have specialist skills, will be well utilised,” he said.

Mr Warner, a Murphy’s Creek resident since 1977, was in the tiny township when a flash flood struck on Monday 10th January and has been assisting his neighbours with the clean-up of the devastated community.

SEQ Catchments is a community-based, not for profit Natural Resource Management (NRM) organisation and has staff located in Brisbane, Ipswich, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Kilcoy, Beaudesert and Laidley.

Its area of operations stretches from Noosa in the north, south to the Queensland / New South Wales border and west to Toowoomba.