Emma Comer (Petrie, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I welcome the press gallery for joining me to hear about the Queensland storms. South East Queensland has once again been battered by severe storms, with destructive winds, heavy rain, hail the size of cricket balls and widespread damage across our communities. In my electorate, families in Brisbane and Moreton Bay endured another intense night of wild weather. Thousands of homes and businesses remain without power, with some facing days of delays due to the scale of the damage. Local businesses have suffered enormous losses. Families are throwing out entire fridges and freezers of food, and schools and small businesses are being forced to close their doors. Disabled residents have been stuck in multistorey buildings without power. I know how stressful and exhausting this can be. I know many families are scared, frustrated and unsure when things will return to normal.

Please take care around the damaged power lines, bridges, buildings and trees. My electorate office in the Deception Bay community hall is open for anyone who needs to charge their devices and access information. Assessments are being undertaken by the Queensland government to determine what payments locals who have been effected can apply for. We are supporting the Queensland government with the cost of providing relief and recovery assistance to communities through the jointly funded disaster recovery funding. Crews are working around the clock to restore power, reconnect communications services and clear debris. We will continue to back every affected household and business for as long as it takes. Queenslanders have always stood together through tough times and we will do so again. Stay safe everyone and merry Christmas.

See this speech in context