Flooded Brisbane Market Aims to Reopen

Article by: Hari Yellina

The Brisbane Produce Market in Rocklea may have been flooded at the start of the week, but it plans to reopen on Wednesday (March 2). Advanced preparations are being made in anticipation of the resumption of commerce as soon as tomorrow morning. Floodwaters overwhelmed the Brisbane Markets site on Monday morning, reaching a height of roughly 8 metres. This is around 1 metre lower than the flood peak of 2011. The rehabilitation process has commenced now that the waters have receded, with Brisbane Markets Limited (BML) chair Anthony Kelly tentatively confident that the site will be ready to receive deliveries later tonight.

Mr Kelly said, “The good news is that the impact on the Central Trading Area has been rather limited.” “In 2011, we learned a lot. We’ve put in place flood mitigation methods and plans to help BML get back up and operating as quickly as feasible.” He praised people who work in the area for their perseverance. “The fresh produce industry’s resiliency, especially the wholesalers here at the markets, is inspiring,” he remarked. “We will move mountains to get fruit and vegetables back on the shelves of local grocery stores. Our goal is to do this starting tomorrow.”

From Wednesday through the weekend, severe thunderstorms with huge hail, damaging gusts, and locally heavy rainfall are expected in south-east Queensland. This might cause localised creek and stream flooding. The Lower Brisbane and Bremer Rivers, Warrill Creek, Logan and Albert Rivers, Mary River, Condamine and Balonne Rivers, and Moonie River are all under major flood warnings in Queensland. With the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Road’s Qld Traffic website displaying hundreds of road closures across the state’s south east, getting produce in and out of the major markets could be a challenge. Mr Kelly of BML said that omissions in the fresh produce supply chain would have ramifications for other businesses and consumers.

The Australian Mango Sector Association observed delays in transporting fruit to market and overall dispatch timings, despite the fact that the mango industry is practically complete. “Although the season is nearly over, we are aware that certain growers in south east Queensland and northern NSW may have been impacted by flooding,” the statement stated. Growcom’s weekly e-mail bulletin earlier today stated that many sections of south east Queensland had suffered considerable damage. “Our thoughts will be with those growers in these areas who will most likely lose the lot, with their entire properties submerged,” the statement stated.

As the rains subside and the floodwaters recede, the actual scope of this natural disaster’s impact will become clear. With the help of an online impact assessment tool developed by DAF, Growcom and the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) are collecting damage estimates. The goal is to create a better coordinated procedure for gathering the impact data needed to assess the level of recovery help that primary farmers and their communities will get.