The public sentiment regarding the recent flooding in New South Wales is marked by concern, frustration, and skepticism. People express frustration about inadequate preparedness and mismanagement during the crisis, especially concerning environmental and health issues. There is significant criticism towards specific relief organizations like the Watchtower Society, with accusations of profiteering and biased aid distribution. While some appreciate the aid provided by financial institutions, they remain overshadowed by distrust and disappointment in organized relief efforts.

Australian Government

Watchtower Society

National Australia Bank (NAB)

So long and thanks for all the fish! 🐬

2020WorstDraftEver

Massive-Relief-7382

Just read a post about people not falling for anti co2 propaganda any more… heartbreaking the whole thing

InterestingClient446

Top_Hair_8984

burstingman

The_Sex_Pistils

Ffs, even the algae is deadly in Australia

dankskent

Dreadful. I'm familiar with Red Tide algea blooms in FL. They kill literally hundreds of tons of fish. The cleanup is insane. Bulldozers scooping up huge piles of rotting carcasses. 

The stink is the first part. You can't do anything but bury the fish - you can't even compost them for future use, because the toxin is so pervasive and deadly. 

In people, I used to see them at my clinic. First came the bathers, covered in red sores, some horribly bloody/infected. 

Then came the eye burns - and nasal tract burns - and finally lung burns. It's scary! Up to 5 miles from the water, people are seriously  injured by just breathing the air. 

So the question is: (at least in Florida) - We *can* control Red Tide. It's as simple as not allowing things like sugar cane farms to vent their water into local rivers. It's making sure that water treatment plants have safety bypass tanks rather than allowing overflow into our rivers and bays. It's not allowing septic runoff. 

But brown algae? Simply from warming sea waters? I doubt it. Nitrates and phosphates in overabundance is what does this. Somebody is dumping or leaking in that area.

Commandmanda

the last time the planet warmed up as fast as it is now, toxic cyanobacteria took over. This happened before and it will likely happen again. its the perfect combination of factors: cyanobacteria loves CO2, increased temperatures, and increased nutrients in the water. We have added the CO2, the earth has doubled in its heating rate, and artificial fertilizers have added the nutrients, as has wildfire adding ash (fertilizer) to the the water. 

A worldwide increase in Cyanotoxins has been observed. 

maybe its time for us to stop dumping so much co2 into the atmosphere, fight wildfires more, use mycorrhizae instead of adding fertilizers, and use cyanophages (or add fungi to eat the dinoflagellates so the carbon shunt to the ocean floor is sped up?) when the blooms get enormous like this. There are potential avenues of ecological solutions that need to be explored. I have links for the above statements. Let me know if you are interested.

twohammocks

I’m trying to imagine the world after millions or billions of us die after the oceans fail to sustain us.  Any advantage the rich thought they had will be gone in a few months.

Soft-Skirt


NAB to provide $1,000 grants to customers impacted by floods.

The support now available for NAB customers directly impacted by the current floods includes:
Immediate access to $1,000 grants to help cover costs such as temporary accommodation, food and clothing (eligibility criteria applies).

$1,000 business grants to help restart or reopen and cover the cost of damaged property, equipment, fencing – and for loss of stock or livestock. NAB business and agribusiness customers wishing to access the grants should call NAB’s dedicated team on 1300 769 650.

Support and counselling through NAB’s Employee Assistance Program.

https://news.nab.com.au/news/nab-to-provide-1000-grants-to-customers-impacted-by-floods-2/

[deleted]

Also the Federal Govt Payments - 

https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/south-east-queensland-floods-february-2022-australian-government-disaster-recovery-payment

Deks067

Thanks for posting... super helpful... :)

sktafe2020

to clarify, if you didn't choose major damage or major asset will you be approved? or do you only get approved if you chose one of those options? 
i was affected but not to the extremes they worded so i just put through my claim without.. 
been all day and no approval yet so i am curious

[QLD Funds for Sporting Clubs](https://www.qld.gov.au/recreation/sports/funding/disaster-recovery?fbclid=IwAR27EpegO_rX0c0DoGB6KvJi0eTr3xlB2rW5fQJMfZFCdPDDGFdUzFykDVI)

AussieEquiv

They have a môd that has a post history of white supremacy and far right views a möd. mha888 Is a white supremacist

Locking this down now.  Some interesting discussions, for sure, but the overwhelming majority of the recent comments are variations of either “call FairWork” or “follow the government’s advice, not what your employer says”.

RoomMain5110

Follow government directives. If it's not safe to go outside, your job is not worth your life. Aside from that, this sort of approach to management is deranged. Good management is interested in the health and safety of workers. Dust off your resume and find other opportunities as soon as you get a chance.

FueraDeLaOficina

Send the straight to the news. They'd froth over a story like that.

Individual-Ad273

It's really great they gave that to you in writing, now you can forward it to fair work.

ELVEVERX

haphazard72

Go in under direction, stand under loose storage, get injured and sue, retire.

Vazael

Not super helpful to you OP but this sort of stuff just makes me appreciate a workplace in which I’m treated like an adult rather than an indentured prisoner.

Bunlord3000

How you supposed to get to the office? Osmosis?

Disastrous_Wheel_441

Yeesh, thats so dumb - also one assumes creates a WH&amp;S liability if it isn't flexible enough to ensure employees safety during an emergency. 
Directions from emergency services will I expect supersede those of your employer - so if SES or whatever issues advice not to go outside then that would be the advice to follow. 


I am 1yr in to an APS gig after getting out of private sector and got an email this morning directing us not to come in at all this week.

Big-Dragonfruit-4306

This happened at my old work with a far less serious storm. The Premier had issued a call for people to leave work &amp; get home &amp; safe. We told our director who took it up with the LT (after telling us to leave) but the LT clapped back. So I reminded them all that they were liable for anything that happened to us if we didn’t evacuate. 
I don’t know how true that was but it did the trick. 

Depending on what business you’re working for, it would be a shame if someone from the media saw that email.

Littlepotatoface

Who the fuck do you work for? Soviet Russia??

Are the directors going to be in the offices with you?

onlythehighlight

If they do fire you, take them to court for unfair dismissal, they wont have a leg to stand on, no judge is going to think this mandate in a disaster situation was a good idea.

Jobeadear

We face these in Townsville regularly and we are working from office until the day before it hits then we work from home. We do a check in after the cyclone about power and safety in general with our manager.

Fudgeygooeygoodness

The only people who should be copping any kind of repercussions are the absolute fucking morons who:

a. Think it's reasonable to expect people to attend the office during an actual cyclone, and

b. Put that bullshit into writing so they can be hung by it when it inevitably leaks and/or leads to an employee being injured or killed.

It boggles my mind that any "executive team" would be so incredibly fucking blind to the liability they've just opened themselves to with this.

sapperbloggs

Leak to media ASAP naming the company.

What sort of deranged director has that sort of policy, they are what is wrong with the world.

lukiethefarmer

As I was reading these comments I just received an SMS from Brisbane City Council warning of the potential for heavy winds and rain 'in my area'.

Tha ks for the reminder, I'll get on to my team and remind them that it's family and personal safety first, work is a very distant second.

jezwel

I remember in the 2011 floods a friends boss made them drive into work and then call them from the flooded road to confirm they couldn’t drive through it.

Tirediati

It's still 3 days+ out from landfall....


You don't get leave until it's imminent - and maybe the day before imminent hit - to prepare.


But regardless what the company says, if it's not safe for you to travel to work (or it won't be safe to get home), just call in sick.

764yhtfbvaey

Curious what your head of health and safety has to say about this. 

fidofidofidofido

Looks like they are looking to restructure soon and are putting the boot in early.  I assume government orders  will override their position on this.  It sounds like they don't want you to take off M,T,W, but T,F is when everything will be shut.  Get clarification 'Does this override government mandates on business closures'.

powerMiserOz

I used to live and work in cyclone areas, your expected to continue working until your alert status moves to orange watch and act. Qld isnt even on the yellow advice alert yet, still very safe to be going to work. 
Yellow advice alert companies usually secure the buildings/ tie down equipmemt depending on the nature of business and orange is go home and secure your own property after the workplace is safe and secure. Red alert is shelter in place and usually called 12hrs before the expected impact.

HighwayLost8360

Hi [news.com.au](http://news.com.au) Hi dailymail.

RedDotLot

This should be illegal.  Their main concern should be the employees' welfare, not their bottom line or optics.  Forward the message to your local media and premier.

Firm_Indication6256

Setup a proton mail account. Email the various news outlets. Watch corporate affairs get busy.

Infinite_Narwhal_290

Here's an insight: Your Director is a fuckwit.

Scary_Television_966

Wow. I just got an email with the exact opposite instructions. Stay at home Thursday and Friday. Do not come to the office even if you think you want to. Do not go to any client sites even if they ask you to. I am sorry your workplace sucks.

PropertyPale

InterestingCrow5584

Probably ok to work today and tomorrow but after this I suspect the directive will change as there will be a mandate for you to stay home.

Distinct_Plan

I used to work with a guy who wouldn't come to the office if there was a storm or torrential floods. His excuse was "I can't swim"

rekt_by_inflation

From a personal safety view, if you are injured on your journey to or from work in the great state of Queensland then you are most likely covered under Workers’ comp. 

Hopefully for you and many others who may have to travel to work in a possible severe weather event it doesn’t come to that.

Unusual_Fly_4007

Omega_brownie

And this is why Directors being possibly charged with manslaughter over work place safety events is important. You can see why Unions are important.

Sunnothere

It’s amazing the variation we see- our work has offered to hire Airtaskers to help anyone who needs assistance in our teams to secure outdoor stuff or do other odd jobs

ModularMeatlance

This is insane. I called a meeting this morning directing my Brisbane-based team to call off any activity they have scheduled including office visits. Some were so not fussed, others were visbily stressed. I can't imagine forcing them into the office.

carlsjbb

I had a workplace do this to me when the previous day we had already been hit with a massive storm and flooding. To the point where I couldn't get home for 5 hours until the flood waters went down. 

There was another mega storm predicted, the building security was telling everyone to leave and the skip level manager (based in another city) told us we weren't allowed to leave or we're fired. 

What did I do? I locked the place up and went home, sent the manager a link to the official storm warning and said that they are welcome to come collect the keys off me to open it back up. 

They just replied with "Do what you think is best".

Mbembez

Lost_Tumbleweed_5669

Just call in sick. Get a doctors certificate if you want/need to take more than a day.

I’d be almost wanting them to try and punish me for it.

BrilliantCoconut25

Talk to your union and work health &amp; safety officer.

The company has obligations re safety. 

I wonder if the directors will be in the office

petergaskin814

Ok I get most of you haven't experienced this. Precautions for a cyclone watch don't go surfing or plan an off-site fishing trip. Also hope you've stocked up already as every unprepared arseshat is panic buying all the torches, tin food, bottled water and batteries.

Seriously I live in a cyclone zone we don't send people home in a watch. We start to implement our cyclone DR plan, which for most staff is BAU, a cleanup, and move stuff in from outdoor areas.

Now if you go to cyclone warning most staff should be sent home. Basically unless you have a role in the company cyclone plan you shouldn't be in the office. 

Alert means the cyclone is actually going to hit and you should already be in your shelter. Which for a cat 1 is in the lounge playing video games.

Seriously your bigger problem in Brisbane isn't the cyclone but getting to work with flooded roads I hear your drainage system is pretty shit at dealing with anything bigger than a sun shower.

morgecroc

I worked in Brisbane when the 2009 floods and 3 others happened, I remember I couldn't get to work in the 09 one as all the roads were flooded, still got calls every 20 mins asking where I was.  Other one I think 2013 or later much the same

georgeformby42

Hi u/larrymcqueen7, I'm a reporter. Would you be happy to talk to me about this for a national publication? Anonymonity guaranteed.

Hot-Corner-4070

Name and shame. I’m bored of Slater and Gordon

asdfghqwerty1

They'll likely change their mind as we get closer and the government issues further warnings. But your company sucks dick and you should consider searching for a different one once this is all over.

gotapure

Literally if you’re being asked to do something unsafe, it is an unlawful directive and you do not have to comply and it is a defence against any action they may take against you. They’re also absolutely screwed if something happens as their insurance won’t cover it.

IAteAllYourBees_53

join your union and report that shit, that’s insane

gimme20seconds

I'd be updating the old resume mate, fuck working for a place that is that callous in a time like this

Waitiki1

LOL- send that to Fair Work and make some popcorn while you are at it.

second_last_jedi

what_is_thecharge

Please complain to your union and the Safe Work regulator in your state.

psych1002

BMW_M3G80

https://www.npr.org/2024/11/02/g-s1-28731/hurricane-helene-tennessee-plastics-factory-deaths-lawsuit

Posting for reasons

I’m reminded of the Rana Plaza collapse in Bangladesh, where workers expressed concern due to cracks in the walls and management threatened termination for anyone who did not show up to work. The next day, it collapsed and killed upwards of 1000 people.

NecessarySalt1125

I've said to my 2 level ups that I won't be coming from tomorrow until it's over and they both said "stay safe!". it comes down to company culture and direct management I guess then?

Ill-Caregiver9238

jammingcrumpets

I would send an email to HR outlining your concerns and direct them to government advice around safety in a tropical cyclone, after you get the reply saying you are expected in regardless, forward the correspondence to a family member or friend who is particularly litigious, make sure this person is FULLY aware of your movements, your normal route to and from work (PT / Car) and go to work as expected. 

If and when something occurs to you, this person can then sue HR and the directors personally, I mean, you may not benefit (other than not having to work in that environment anymore) but the directors will definitely suffer as a result.

ma77mc

I'd like to see them backing up this directive at Fair Work Australia if it came to it. Pretty sure government directives override corporate greed.

Basicbletch

Just remember that it’s still not a given how bad the cyclone is going to be. If it makes landfall as a category 2 then no one is going anyway.

Esquatcho_Mundo

Follow government directives,

If they say it's not safe then its not safe.

Any type of retaliation from your work tell them to expect the name of the company plastered all over 60 minutes and to expect a lawsuit from you.

My workplace sent out an email this morning to remind us how much they care. This will be followed with an email to tell us it's bau unless the world is actively ending. 


For the record, we can all do our jobs remotely and they have no problem with asking us to do so if something pops up after hours.

polskialt

As someone who grew up in Darwin, I feel like these directives could only come from someone who's never experienced a cyclone before. **Brisbane is NOT built for cyclones so this directive is even more outrageously dangerous.**

Hoping it doesn't hit but I certainly know my old Darwin mates in Brisbane are absolutely getting their properties prepared and know exactly what to do. Going in to work, won't be one of them.

FarOutUsername

My boss is closing the office without a 2nd thought. I can't believe some people would put their employees in avoidable danger

Round--Earther

Funny how companies didn’t want us all going to work to stop the little Covid virus for months and months yet a cyclone with potential to have strong winds and flash flooding just business as normal. Personally I think Friday should be a directive to stay home minimal people on the roads etc

Murky-Contact522

Oh no your sick! Better go to the doctor and get that sick certificate

RoyalOtherwise950

stormblessed2040

Create a burner account, take a screenshot of the email. Blur out the email addresses and post it to Reddit

WarpFactorNin9

Your job sucks.. what kind of management is this?

ellisonedvard0

I’m a director and we’ve just closed our office in northern nsw because we don’t want people driving to and from work in this weather. I think you’d have a pretty good argument in Fair Work if you were performance managed because of it. However it’s not yet a cyclone and we’ve already had a number of people pre-empting the work arrangements (eg I probably won’t have internet) so it’s worth remembering that they may revise their advice - I hope. It’s pretty disappointing that some directors feel the need to be mean for mean sake. 

Under Fair work if you cannot perform your regular duties (eg you work in a store that has flooded) you can be directed to stand down without pay. 

Personally given it’s only 3 years since the devastating floods, this event is causing a lot of anxiety. Keep good records and if you find you cannot attend the office make sure you put in writing and keep evidence of flooded roads, hazard warnings etc and be ready to take action against them.

Ok-Secretary-5036

jabso19

litifeta

Time to send an anonymous email to a news network

onemorequestion-

Spill the beans and go to the media. That behaviour is wrong, such disregard for people’s safety. And if you need to, go to your GP and get a medical certificate. Stay safe, you can get another job, but not another life.

qualified-doggo

From which organisation? I struggle to believe this is legit without an actual name as I don't believe any employer would be this tone-deaf and willing to face legal action.

arouseandbrowse

Interesting what would happen if someone got injured on their way to work, if this kind of email would make the business liable for injury’s

Wetrapordie

send it to the daily mail, company name and everything. they are essentially saying your safety is not important. What poor people management

Brinkworth81

Right now, I don't think that's a problem. But, if this turns into a emergency situation it's only sensible to have as little amount of cars on the road as possible.

Few_Childhood_6147

You could point out that if they forced you into work and you get cut off from home due to an event they had knowledge of they are liable for accommodation and meal costs

skymonstef

https://preview.redd.it/dnp6u5jgldme1.jpeg?width=2952&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp&amp;s=9d771b05d12e2680366201a9fbbd8bef48c66603

greenman4242

Yeah I’d be listening to govt info over my employer in this case. If it’s not safe to travel to work or if you believe you won’t be able to make it home safely then I’m sure you know what to do. 

Take the day to maybe look for another role. 

ConfidentOutcome9554

Sure come to work via canoe and torch if the cyclone hits and causes damage to infrastructure and risk your safety to potentially go to an office with no power or infrastructure working…

Sudden-Scar6940

scatposterr

New South Wales is undergoing a massive cleanup after record floods that caused deaths and isolated communities. Authorities provide aid with international assistance to address climate change impacts.

Australia 2025 Flood Cleanup and Relief Efforts

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