QLD:Rebuilding guidelines for Yasi hit north

AAP General News (Australia)
04-13-2011
QLD:Rebuilding guidelines for Yasi hit north

EDS: Attributing quotes to Bligh, not Slater as sent



BRISBANE, April 13 AAP - Draft guidelines to help far north Queenslanders rebuild and
repair their homes after Cyclone Yasi will be released next week.

The guidelines for rebuilding parts of Tully Heads and Hull Heads prone to storm surges
will be released at a public meeting in Tully next week.

The two communities, between Cairns and Townsville, suffered extensive damage from
the cyclone and the storm surge it caused.

The guidelines were developed with input from James Cook University's Cyclone Testing
Station, the CSIRO, architects, and the Cassowary Coast Regional Council.

Premier Anna Bligh said they would not be mandatory but were aimed at making sure communities
were better prepared for future cyclones.

"The Yasi storm surge caused damage to homes in low lying coastal areas, particularly
between Clump Point and Lucinda," she said.

"The damage to houses in Tully Heads and Hull Heads ranges from minor internal water
damage through to complete destruction of homes.

"Our current figures indicate some 130 homes along the coastline were affected by the
storm surge, 80 of which have serious structural damage."

She said Yasi produced a storm tide that was as much as 5.4 metres above the region's
normal high tide.

The guidelines were developed specifically for Tully Heads and Hull Heads, but are
relevant for all low-lying coastal communities, the premier said.

They will be released at a community meeting at the Tully Heads Community Centre on
April 20, attended by Queensland Reconstruction Authority chief Major General Mick Slater.

The meeting will include a presentation by cyclone and storm surge experts from the
JCU Cyclone Testing Station and building design advice from senior architects from the
Office of the Queensland Government Architect.

Residents will be urged to consider key issues including raising the height of homes,
and ensuring structural columns can withstand hits from large objects washed away in the
surge.

Cassowary Coast Regional Council Mayor Bill Shannon said the Yasi surge was the worst
to hit the region in more than 90 years.

"We look forward to the next edition of the draft guidelines which will have broader
advice for north Queenslanders on how to rebuild and prepare for cyclonic wind conditions,"

he said.

AAP tnf/pc

KEYWORD: RECOVERY GUIDELINES (REISSUING)

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