Natural Hazards
To view Natural Hazard mapping layers for bushfire, flood and storm tides, or landslides visit the Redlands Coast Disaster Dashboard.
Bushfire
Russell Island has the highest bushfire risk of the Southern Moreton Bay Islands, with the majority of the island being identified as having a high to very high bushfire risk. The properties at greatest risk are those located at the southern end of the island in the Sandy Beach and Rocky Point areas. There is a large area of inaccessible swamp south of Glendale Road which is boarded on the eastern side by the Sandy Beach community. If the prevailing winds during a bushfire event are from the south or west, they are likely to drive the fire towards the at risk properties. The main power line from the mainland supplying power to the Southern Moreton Bay Islands and North Stradbroke Island also runs across this area, putting the power supply to these islands at risk. Local residents have reported that approximately 30 years ago a significant fire occurred that burnt most of the bushland on the island. There has been no significant fire activity on the island since, resulting in considerable fuel loads in the swamp.
These properties are also at risk of ember attack should there be a bushfire in the surrounding area. During a wildfire, embers can travel up to 3km in front of a fire line which means that all dwellings within the Sheldon area are at risk. Residents need to be vigilant and be prepared. For more information about bushfire preparedness and what to do during a bushfire, visit the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services website to create your Bushfire Survival Plan.
Flood Prone, Storm Tide
Flood prone, storm tide and drainage constrained land mapping has identified the potential for storm tide inundation to have significant inland penetration during a severe storm event which has the potential to isolate communities on Russell Island. Communities located at the southern end of Russell Island such as those at Sandy Beach and Rocky Point are particularly vulnerable. For the Sandy Beach area on the south eastern tip of Russell Island, indications are that the primary access road – Glendale Road, could experience flooding to the west of Jingella Avenue effectively isolating the entire area. For the Rocky Point area on the south western tip of Russell Island, access via Stradbroke Drive or Glendale Road could be affected. Stradbroke Drive could experience flooding to the west of South End Road, and Glendale Road could experience flooding to the west of Centre Road. Minjerriba Road also has potential for flooding near Maroondah Street which would effectively cut the primary land evacuation route from the southern end of the island to the barge and ferry service in the north of the island.
Landslide
The majority of Russell Island has low to no risk of landslide. Areas of high to very high risk are limited mainly to the eastern coastline of the island; particular in the southern end from Seaward Drive south to The Boulevard at Sandy Beach. This area is dotted with residential development in the region of Wahine Drive, Naples Drive, Crescent Drive and The Boulevard.
Critical Infrastructure
Critical infrastructure on the islands at the time of a disaster event includes utilities such as power, water, sewerage and telecommunications, and water transportation including ferry and barge services. Impacts of a disaster on these services may have far-reaching long-term effects for island communities.
Sewage
The sewer network operated by Redland City Council covers Coochiemudlo Island, parts of Dunwich, and Point Lookout on North Stradbroke Island. Those parts of Dunwich, Point Lookout and Amity Point not serviced by the sewer network utilise septic systems, as does all of the Southern Moreton Bay Islands (SMBI).
Many of the newer homes, businesses and the primary schools on Russell and Macleay Islands use modern sewerage treatment systems that require power to operate. Therefore during extended periods of power outage the toilets are unable to be utilised or risk failure if used. This limits the number of community buildings that can be used as evacuation centres during a disaster event.
Many of the RCC sewage pumping stations have fixed generators onsite to provide backup power in the event of a power failure. Those that do not have fixed generators have the facilities to plug in a portable generator; several are available that can be taken to any site that requires it.
The most serious effect of a failing sewerage system is the potential for highly infectious diseases to occur including dysentery and hepatitis. Mosquitoes and flies that spread a number of other illnesses can breed in areas where liquid waste reaches the surface. There are also risks to the natural environment including the health of waterways and Moreton Bay.
Water
Water can be supplied to Russell Island via either North Stradbroke Island or the mainland. From Russell Island, the supply is then piped via Karragarra Island to Lamb Island and then onto Macleay Island. The water supply for Coochiemudlo Island is also piped directly from the mainland. The mainland water supply is connected to the SEQ water grid and therefore the risk of the water supply failing is extremely low. However the islands of Karragarra, Lamb, Macleay and Coochiemudlo only have one connecting pipeline. When one of these pipelines fails there will be a loss of supply and emergency supply measures will be put in place.
The North Stradbroke Island townships of Dunwich, Amity Point and Point Lookout source their water supplies directly from the bore fields located on North Stradbroke Island (stored in reservoirs at each township) and again the risk of the water supply failing is extremely low.
Electricity
The electricity supply, provided by Energex to the SMBI and North Stradbroke Island, comes via Russell Island. The supply originates on the mainland north of Cabbage Tree Point and crosses the Western Boating Channel, connecting to the southern end of Russell Island at Rocky Point, then continues north through the centre of Russell Island before branching off to service North Stradbroke Island and Karragarra Island. The electricity supply from Karragarra Island then connects to Macleay Island which in turn is connected to Lamb Island.
This sequence of connections highlights the importance of Russell Island to the electricity supply for SMBI and North Stradbroke Island. There is a substation on Russell Island to assist in ensuring the power supply to Russell Island is more robust and with less power fluctuations. There are a number of transformer connection points on Macleay Island which enables Energex to use generators to supply power to Macleay, Karragarra and Lamb Islands in the event of a major power failure; however this would be a reduced supply. There are also generator connection points on North Stradbroke Island which can provide reduced backup supply to Dunwich, Point Lookout and Amity Point.
The main line that crosses to the southern end of Russell Island is strung on concrete poles high above the ground in a relatively inaccessible area of moderate to high bushfire risk. If the line was impacted by bushfire, Energex would restore the line as quickly as possible given the population on SMBI and North Stradbroke Island.
Energex offer a notification service for Emergency and Planned outages, and other alerts such as upcoming meter read if dogs are onsite or for certain customer service work requests. Click here to go to the Energex Notifications page to Register for this notification service.
The electricity supply to Coochiemudlo Island comes via an underwater line from the Victoria Point reserve at the end of Colburn Avenue and connects to the western tip of the island near the golf club. The line runs underground until it meets the established road network and as such has limited impact from bushfire, tidal surge or flood hazards.
Telecommunications
Landline access to North Stradbroke Island and SMBI is via a microwave link from the mainland to exchanges on the islands. The exchanges on North Stradbroke Island are located at each of the three townships of Dunwich, Amity Point and Point Lookout, and the SMBI exchanges are located on Russell and Macleay Islands. Coochiemudlo Island is connected via a submarine cable that runs from the Victoria Point exchange to the island.
The exchanges on North Stradbroke Island and SMBI require electricity to operate and all have battery back-up systems that operate for a limited period of time. During extended periods of power outage Telstra have generators that can be deployed from the mainland to provide additional capacity. Telstra also have other resources such as a mobile exchange, mobile satellite coverage and mobile base station that can be deployed if required.
There are no mobile phone towers located on SMBI or Coochiemudlo Island; coverage is from towers on the mainland and North Stradbroke Island. Mobile phone towers on North Stradbroke Island are located in each of the three townships which provide good coverage over these areas. The Amity Point tower also has a radio link to Karingal on the southern end of Moreton Island. There are mobile coverage black spots in the non-township areas, beach camping areas, and predominantly in the southern end of North Stradbroke Island and some parts of SMBI.
Other telecommunication issues that could impact the community during periods of power outage include cordless landline phones and access to the internet, both of which require power to operate. With more people using their mobile phones to access the Internet, more pressure is being placed on the capacity of the mobile network.
Connection to the National Broadband Network (NBN) is now available across the majority of Australia, with various connection types for both wired (copper, fibre optic, and hybrid fibre-coaxial) and radio (satellite and fixed wireless). It is important to know the type of connection you have; fibre to the building (FTTB), fibre to the curb (FTTC), fibre to the node (FTTN), fibre to the premises (FTTP), or hybrid fibre-coaxial (HFC), there is also satellite or fixed wireless. The majority of connections are FTTN and FTTP, closely followed by HFC.
It is important to note that any equipment connected via the NBN will not work during a power outage, including VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) phones. For more information about what happens in a power blackout for the type of connection at your residence, please go to https://www.nbnco.com.au/learn/what-happens-in-a-power-blackout. Certain connection types can request battery back-up solutions through their internet service provider; battery back-up is required for all Priority Assistance customers who suffer from a diagnosed life-threatening illness.
If you have a medical alarm, emergency call button, autodialler, security alarm, monitored fire alarm or lift emergency phones at your premises, please contact your equipment provider to confirm whether your equipment will work via the network in the event of a power outage. Further information is also available on the NBN website and how to register these devices; this assists the NBN in identifying premises where support maybe be required to minimise service outages https://www.nbnco.com.au/learn/device-compatibility.
Road Network
North Stradbroke Island is accessible by vehicle barge, passenger water taxi or private boat and the three townships of Dunwich, Amity and Point Lookout are connected by sealed roads. There is a public bus service on the island that operates between the passenger ferries in Dunwich, travelling to Amity Point and Point Lookout. Taxi services are limited, however some Clubs offer a courtesy bus. There are a number of inland tracks that are only accessible by 4WD, and the island has two sandy beaches that you can drive on with a 4WD permit; Flinders Beach and Main Beach (permits can be purchased through Minjerribah Camping).
Driving on sand is different to driving on hard surfaces, stay alert and ensure you are familiar with sand-driving techniques; only travel at low tide, drive on the harder sand, do not park or drive in the water or dunes, and remember to slow down for other beach users and wildlife. Beach driving rules are the same as driving on a public road. QLD Police conduct regular speed checks and random breath testing on the beaches as well as the sealed roads.
REMEMBER: If it’s flooded, forget it – BACK IT UP!
Summer months bring rain, cyclones and unstable weather conditions to Queensland. More than half of flood related deaths in Queensland are the result of people driving through floodwater. It can happen anywhere – roads, creeks, dams, parks or backyards. Residents should be aware of the dangers connected to floodwater or swift flowing water such as: slippery surfaces; uneven ground; strong currents; sharp objects; electrical current; fences; vehicles; rocks; long grass; tree branches; sewerage; and chemicals.
If you get trapped in floodwater, you not only put your life and the lives of the people with you at risk, but you also put the rescuers lives at risk too.
Localised flooding may temporarily restrict access and cut roads in some areas of Redland City. Please consider this when planning to drive during periods of heavy rain. See a list of the areas that may be impacted by localised flooding.
Don’t wait until it’s too late. Plan ahead and keep yourself, family and friends safe. Check out the Floodwater Safety information available here https://www.qfes.qld.gov.au/prepare/flooding
Water Transportation
North Stradbroke Island, Coochiemudlo Island and SMBI are all accessible via vehicle barge and passenger ferry, departing from Toondah Harbour, Victoria Point and Weinam Creek Marina respectively. Along with the barge and ferry service to SMBI, Bay Island Transit System (BITS) also operates the Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) boat Kitty Kat from Russell Island. The QAS boat is available 24/7 and an arrangement is already in place to transport Energex staff to SMBI in an emergency, if Kitty Kat is not required for patient transport.
The passenger ferries are designed to operate in rough seas and therefore the size of the waves in the bay or the strength of the wind is unlikely to stop the ferries from running – high winds are more of an issue for the vehicle barges. However, the safety of passengers as they board and depart from the passenger ferries and visibility during heavy fog or torrential rain does determine whether the passenger ferries will operate. The passenger ferries are able to land directly onto the island’s foreshores if the jetty or pontoons were damaged or destroyed. The main safety consideration in doing this is the loading and unloading of passengers.
Severe weather and floating debris can hinder the ability of water transport to operate, requiring services to cease until it is safe. This can impact residents’ access to mainland services and supplies. It is recommended island residents ensure they have an adequately stocked emergency kit, with 5-7 days supply of food, water, medications etc.