Brisbane residents anxiously waiting for flood buy-back scheme update
Sandy Xai and her husband thought they would raise their baby in their Brisbane home, but have instead been forced to move from hotel to hotel.
The couple have many happy memories attached to their Rocklea home, which was destroyed in the February floods.
Since being forced to evacuate, the family has been through seven different hotels and has spent three months in a sharehouse.
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Flooding in February destroyed thousands of homes and properties. Nine
Xai said her son had his first birthday with nowhere to go.
"Bought a small cake for him and no place to celebrate, obviously," she said.
Xai is currently waiting for her house to be bought back by the Queensland government, but there's no news yet on whether her application will be approved.
Deputy Premier Steven Miles today gave an update for families anxiously awaiting news.
"Expect the first purchases to be concluded by Christmas," he said.
"Obviously for these families, it's a big decision
Applicants from 122 Queensland homes have been approved for the buy-back scheme so far, but there are many more applicants still awaiting a response.
Xai said waist-level water had flooded her home two days before Brisbane City Council's emergency alert warned her of the floods.
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Applicants from 122 Queensland homes have been approved for the buy-back scheme so far. Queensland Fire and Emergency Services via AP
Opposition councillor Jared Cassidy called for the council to better prepare for the next disaster.
"We need council to be able to deliver early warnings to people and to deliver advice to people who need to evacuate," he said.
In his review of the south-east Queensland's flood response, Paul de Jersey reported not enough people had signed up for the council's alerts.
Six months on, seven in every 100 Brisbane residents are signed up to the service.
The council has issued incentives like a possible trip to Tangalooma to those who register next month.
"The best way to sign up for that is through the Brisbane city website," councillor Andrew Wells said.
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