Larry

I’ve been waiting for someone to have sufficient bad manners to compare Larry with Katrina – didn’t take too long. Over at LP Kate raises the issue thus giving readers a platform to vent their spleen against Bush. It’s all about Aid to the Civil Power. In a national disaster the authorities from the local government up have to request help from the Federal government before the Military etc can be deployed. In Queensland’s case the Mayor at Innisfail and the Premier of Queensland were obviously well versed in the procedure and acted accordingly. In Katrina’s case the Mayor and Governer seemed to be ideological incompetants and procrastinated over decisions. There are other obvious differences; the first being the relative sizes of Larry and Katrina and Innisfail and New Orleans. Still, gives them a chance to put down on Bush again. Ian Gerard, in the Australian sees the glass half empty as he finds problems in the relief work;

In a sign that the relief effort is struggling to cope with Cyclone Larry’s aftermath, the most powerful cyclone to hit the Queensland coast in more than 80 years, tempers flared as a large crowd waited in torrential rain.

And John Howard was jeered at first but later earnt applause;

John Howard was initially jeered in Innisfail when he arrived yesterday, but was later cheered when he announced $10,000 tax-free grants for small businesses and $200,000 low-interest loans to allow local businesses and farmers whose crops were wiped out to rebuild.

Yeah…right. Waiting in the relief queue outside the Innisfail courthouse yesterday was Shiralee Hazel;

She expressed the frustration of many: “Effing do something now. That is my message for them. Get off their fat arses and do something.”

They are off their fat arses, Shiralee. The Disaster Coordination Centre in Brisbane was functioning days before Larry hit Innisfail; the military were on standby at Lavarack Barracks waiting for road access before they despatched hundreds of trucks all loaded with gear ready to help. The Army doesn’t load these trucks post the event -they were loading while the North was getting flattened. Green painted water purifcation and desalination plant are in situ now as are kitchens to help feed the locals who have lost their kitchens. The Army Blackhawkes have been there helping and the RAAF have been doing photo runs with F11s to asses the damage further out. RAAF Hercules aircraft from Sydney have flown in hundreds of tarps and other supplies. The Power authorities had vehicles load with sufficient cabling to recable complete towns and generators to power up water and sewerage pumping stations prior to the full disclosure of the damage. They left Brisbane as soons as roads were opened. Power and Telstra crews were in working on the afternoon of the day of the disaster. State Emergency Services local crews were working that day as well helping other locals as they tried to make sense of their lives and hundreds of volunteer crews are heading to the area and a lot are already there. I listened to radio yesterday and the day before and noted the admirable work being done by dozens of agencies as the announcer spoke to them all. He was actually in situ and interviewed soldiers as the headed North from Townsville. It was all good and as it should be. Everyone he spoke to just wanted to get there and help restore people’s lives. I have empathy for Shiralee but the fact that she was in a queue the day after Larry struck fully expecting to get a cash handout suggests to me that the public servants were off their arses as well. Personally, I think Ian Gerard has denigrated the work of everyone involved by quoting some stressed out woman in a queue. Maybe, just maybe, he could go further afield and talk to the majority of locals who are thankfull for any help they are getting. Of course, while all this is going on the rain continues to bucket down flooding access roads and communities and slowing a lot of relief work but you can see on TV that the Australians who are there to help are not stopped by this – they continue to strive. When the news of the disaster struck I was instantly over the Commonwealth Games and looked for full-on TV coverage of the relief work. Not to be; Australians are suffering and we sit and watch pampered athletes win gold and subsequent lucrative endoresments. The heroes are up in Innisfail working in appalling conditions, often on a voluntary status (no financial reward), against nature at her worst only to be told to get off their respective arses.