Tilt Train into Tropic Thunder

Roma Street railway station Brisbane 

Greetings from the Spirit of Queensland train, at Mackay, Queensland. We left Brisbane yesterday afternoon and traveled through the night, past flooded fields. There is Tropical Low 30U in our path ahead and it is unlikely we will reach our destination of Cairns (lows do not get the romantic names of cyclones). This tilt train is comfortable and well equipped. 

First class seat 

I am in first class, with lie flat beds. There is a large video screen for each seat, but with a very limited selection of video & audio entertainment. The seats are comfortable with power adjustment. However, to convert to a bed the staff have to plug in an extra hand controller and manually unfold part of the chair. 

There is one USB & one mains power socket for each seat and a place for a bottle of water (with a complementary bottle in it). There is a pillow, doona, blanket and towel in an overhead locker. There is a toilet and a toilet shower at the end of the carriage (a very large shower by railway standards). The food is good (and included in the ticket price). There is a cafe car in the middle of the train.

While a tilt train, it is not particularly fast, due to the narrow winding track. But the ride is comfortable. We have had to divert around Gladstone due to flooding and there is water lying in the cane fields around Mackay, but the train is only one hour behind schedule. 

The train has no WFi but Telstra's mobile coverage works most of the way. Queensland's tilt trains (there is an electric one to Rockhampton, as well as this diesel service to Cairns) have been remarkably uncontroversial. While other attempts to provide higher speed trains have faltered, the electric tilt train has been running for 28 years. 

Postscript: Train arrived in Cairns only two hours late, with the bonus of another dinner onboard.

Queensland Tilt Train Like an Aircraft on Rails

If you don't have time for the Spirit of Queensland from Brisbane to Cairns, there is another Queensland tilt train, from Brisbane to Rockhampton, simply called the "Tilt Train".
The Tilt Train has an interior which looks like an airliner. The economy seats are a little firm, but larger than aircraft seats. There are overhead lockers which hold an aircraft size bag for each seat. The "tilt" effect is barely noticable. 

To complete the railway experience stay at the Denison Boutique Hotel, located adjacent to the Rockhampton rail yards. The heritage building was previously the administrative railways office. Across the road is what was the Railway Cafe, now the Denison St Diner & Take Away, and still serving a hearty engine driver's breakfast from 5am Monday to Friday. But you have to really like trains, as there is a rail line down the middle of the street between the cafe and hotel, with trains going past your hotel window all hours of the day and night. For an evening of large steaks (with the heads of the cattle they came from mounted on the walls) there is the Great Western Hotel across from the Denison. What looks like a typical outback hotel has a rodeo area out the back. When the rodeo is not on there is live music (both kinds), or line dancing.

Turned it up to 11 on the Spirit of the Outback

The volume control for announcements on the Spirit of the Outback train in Queensland goes up to 11, but is still not very loud. ;-)

The Spirit of the Outback in contrast to the Tilt Train, is a rattly old locomotive drawn thing. Still very comfortable, but you have to hold on when standing up. The first class bedsits are perfect for recreating a Marx Brothers film. The two person ones have two doors for a French farce. This must be the only train in the world which stops so the passengers can visit a memorial commemorating a strike (the *dead* Tree of Knowledge at, Barcaldine).

Live Your Life, But Take Precautions

Over Christmas, I left Canberra for a holiday in Queensland, but never got there. The Queensland boarders were closed due to COVID-19, so I stayed in Sydney. Then the Canberra boarder closed and I could not go home. But then, if you have to be stuck somewhere, Sydney is a nice place to be. ;-)

From Sydney, I could still work online, with the help of a mattress (my next webinar for Canada is 11am, Wednesday, all welcome). My doctor faxed scrips for essential medicines to a Sydney pharmacy (there is still a use for fax).

In Sydney, I decided to avoid indoor venues. It became a challenge to find somewhere to shop and be entertained without an enclosed air-conditioned space and within walking distance. When mandatory mask wearing was introduced for Sydney, this was in some ways a relief. I did try going to a concert once, but an hour in a mask, even with an intermission outside, was not a pleasant experience.

Last week the Canberra boarder opened, and I was able to return. This was an anti-climax: I was expecting someone in a hazmat suit to stick something up my nose, but there was no border checkpoint. What I did find confronting was going to a shopping center. As I entered there were people with no masks. I found this shocking and a little frightening. I wanted to shout "What are you doing, don't you know we are in a pandemic!" and run from the building. But I calmed down, and did my shopping.

Usually I would have lunch in the center, but could not face spending any longer in a enclosed space with hundreds of people. So I dined on the top level of the car-park, at a  food van. It was a bright sunny pleasant day. 

I went home in a better frame of mind, thinking my fears irrational and expecting they would have receded after a few days. This would be similar to 18 January 2003, when at the same shopping center car-park, I was confronted by smoke from a firestorm destroying part of Canberra.

However, the next morning, it was reported there were COVID-19 viral fragments detected in Belconnen wastewater. My fears were not entirely irrational after all.

There is a need to get on with life, but also take precautions.

Mango Trees Hazard on Queensland Railway

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) issued its final report on "Collision of passenger trainT842 with station platform, Cleveland,Queensland, 31 January 2013", 20 December 2013. The ATSB found the train wheels slipped due to contamination from nearby trees. "Slippery rail" is a well known in the railway industry. While the cause is usually due to leaves on the track, it can be remarkably hard to predict or combat. As part of the investigation ATSB found there were trees next to, or overhanging the railway line at the top 10 locations where trains had overrun station platforms. One aspect not covered in the report is if the type of vegetation effects rail slip.

The most instances on the Brisbane rail network of station overrun occurred at Lindum railway station. Figure 19 on page 31 of the report shows an overhead shot of the station, pointing to trees nearby. I attended school nearby and recognise the grove of Mango trees in the photo. These trees have a much more dense foliage than native eucalyptus and drop sticky sap filled leaves and twigs as well as fruit. I have suggested to the ATSB that perhaps this causes more wheel slip that other vegetation.

New Queensland Government ICT Strategy

The new "Queensland Government ICT strategy" was issued following a report into the failure of the Queensland Health Payroll System Development.

Objectives:

1. Effective digital services for our clients 18
2. Efficient digital services for government 42
3. Transformed and capable workforce 58 

Table of contents

Minister’s foreword 3
Executive summary 4

Section A: Accountability in Queensland Government ICT 8

Section B: Action plan 17

Objective 1: Effective digital services for our clients 18
Strategic focus area 1: Improving customer experience of government services 18
Strategic focus area 2: Digital economy 22
Strategic focus area 3: Information management 27
Strategic focus area 4: Open data 32
Strategic focus area 5: Information security and privacy of individuals 35
Strategic focus area 6: Digital archiving 39

Objective 2: Efficient digital services for government 42
Strategic focus area 7: Contestability and ICT strategic sourcing 42
Strategic focus area 8: ICT as-a-service 46
Strategic focus area 9: ICT innovation 50
Strategic focus area 10: Significant and at-risk ICT asset stabilisation 54

Objective 3: Transformed and capable workforce 58
Strategic focus area 11: A capable and competent workforce 58
Strategic focus area 12: Portfolio, program and project management 62

Glossary of terms 66
Acronyms 67
Attachment 1: Links and inter-dependencies 69

Queensland Health Payroll System Failure Report

The inquiry headed by Richard Chesterman has released the "Queensland Health Payroll System Commission of Inquiry Report" (31 July 2013). The 264 page report looks into the reasons for the failure of the IT system development for the Queensland Department of Health. The cost of additional manual payroll processing due to the failure of the automated system is $1.2B over eight years. The commissioner recommends that the Queensland Government apply an appropriate structure to oversee future large ICT projects and staff have skills in project management. This document should be required reading for all students of computer systems development.

The building of large corporate computer systems is a complex, high risk endeavor, even where those carrying out the task are honest and competent. When at the Australian Department of Defence one of my first tasks was to review the progress of a personnel system development. Along with other staff I reported the project had little chance of success and it was abandoned. A new project was started, only to be scrapped some years later. A third attempt, using package software, was successful.

Over the last ten years I have been engaged as an expert witness to assess failed IT projects, which have been the subject of court action between the developers and their clients. From reading the documentation for these projects, there is a general pattern: after the initial enthusiasm and wish to do the project properly, there are setbacks about one quarter the way into the project. Rather than make a decision stop at that point and carry out a review (as  project methodology requires), a non-decision is made and the project continues in the hope things can be fixed up. From this point increasingly desperate attempts are made to get the project back on the original track (when the correct procedure would be to devise a new plan, or stop). In every case the matter has been settled out of court and so the evidence of experts is not made public, avoiding embarrassment to the computer company and their client. The Queensland Health Payroll System Report provides a valuable public study of how such computer projects fail.

Chesterman writes of the project:

"Its failure, attended by enormous cost, damage to government and impact on workforce, may be the most spectacular example of all the unsuccessful attempts to impose a uniform solution on a highly complicated and individualised agency. ...

The system did not perform adequately with terrible consequences for the employees of QH and equally serious financial consequences for the State.

After many months of anguished activity during which employees of Queensland Health endured hardship and uncertainty, a functioning payroll system was developed, but it is very costly. It required about 1,000 employees to process data in order to deliver fortnightly pays11. It is estimated that it will cost about $1.2B over the next eight years12. ...

The replacement of the QH payroll system must take a place in the front rank of failures in public administration in this country. It may be the worst. ..."

Table of Contents

Introduction 9

1. Procurement 15

1. Introduction .15
2. Reviews of the SS Initiative 16
3. Request for Information (RFI) 36
4. Request for Proposal (RFP) 37
5. Invitation to Tender (ITO) .57
6. Procurement: Conclusions .85

2. Contract and Project Management 90

1. Introduction .90
2. Overview 92
3. The Contract 99
4. Scoping 100
5. The Deficient System and the Opportunities to Redress it ..113
6. The Decision to Go Live 143

3. Settlement 170

1. Introduction 170
2. Preliminary Observations 171
3. The Supplemental Agreement 171
4. Factors that Influenced the Decision ...194
5. Mr Reid 206
6. Mr Grierson 208
7. Conclusions 210

4. Summary 213

5. Recommendations 217

1. Introduction 217
2. Lessons to be Learned 217
3. Project Management for Future Projects 220
4. Future of the Queensland Health Payroll System 220
5. Principles of Project Management 221

Appendicies 225

1. Establishment and Operations 226
2. QH Payroll System Timeline 230
3. Opening Remarks 232
4. Copy of Public Notice 244
5. Acknowledgements 245
6. Inquiry Staff 246
7. Legal Representatives 247
8. Exhibits List 248
9. Report Glossary 258

A4 Size Netbook for Queensland Schools

Media reports indicate that the Queensland Department of Education and Training has ordered 65,000 Acer Aspire TimelineX AS1830T laptops for students. These have a 11.6 inch screen and an A4 form factor (A4FF). The Acer laptop is 11.2 x 8 inches, smaller than an A4 sheet of paper at 11.66 x 8.27 inches. It has a larger screen and keyboard than the 10 inch net-books the NSW Education Department purchased, but will still fit in a schoolbag designed for A4 paper. This is the same form factor as the Kogan Agora Laptop I have been using for the last six months and the size I have suggested for students.

While tablet computers have been receiving considerable press for education, laptops still have advantages. The real keyboard is much more convenient for typing on and the later screen makes for easier viewing. In practice many tablet computer users buy an add-on keyboard and case which allows the screen to be propped up making it a laptop. The laptops are cheaper than netbooks, due to the omission of the touch screen and the use of less miniaturized components. But laptops do have disadvantages, being larger, less easy to operate standing up and having less battery life.

The Acer runs the Windows 7 operating system and conventional desktop applications. This is an advantage for running a wide range of software. However, it creates a maintenance and security burden and requires a conventional hard disk. An alternative is to use a lightweight operating system and "Apps". Kogan offered a version of their laptop with a small solid state disk running Google's Chromium OS, with web based applications and data stored in "The Cloud". This would work well where schools provided educational materials on-line, but has its own security and maintenance problems. A midway point would be to use a version of the Linux operating system and some conventional and some web-based applications.

Queensland Smart Classrooms Strategy

The Queensland Department of Education and Training has a Smart Classrooms strategy. The strategy includes a Professional Development Framework for digital pedagogy, with three levels:

1. ICT Certificate: Outlines a foundational level of ICT use for teaching in the 21st century
2. Digital Pedagogy Licence: Acknowledges teachers who effectively embrace digital pedagogy
3. Digital Pedagogy Licence Advanced : Acknowledges teachers who embrace digital pedagogy and demonstrate leadership of this within school.

Unfortunately the latest version of the 2011-2014 Smart Classrooms strategy is communicated in the not-so-smart format of a 1.8 Mbyte PDF file. The document is only the equivalent of six printed pages, with the bulk taken up with some decorative images. There is also one table which is sideways in the PDF document. The Department needs to put the content in a proper e-document which can be read on-line.

Here is an extract from the strategy, which I have had to reformat to make readable:

SMART Classrooms

This updated Smart Classrooms strategy builds on and acknowledges the distance travelled in previous ICT strategies. The new 2011-2014 strategy provides direction for harnessing the learning and business potential of ICT now and into the future and is the latest chapter in the clear, cohesive digital learning story that has evolved in Queensland over the past seven years.

This strategy recognises the demand for seamless movement between school, work, home and play. It is about educators and students working digitally in ways that pervade and impact every aspect of schooling (teaching and learning), and about providing personalised pathways to learning success.

Building on Using business intelligence gleaned in previous years, the Smart Classrooms strategy has evolved, building on its focus on teaching and learning, providing a greater range of aligned and complementary services when working digitally. Smart Classrooms projects are designed to support learners and learning, creating the conditions for student success in a complex, changing digital world.

Cultural change

The strategy promotes the cultural change required to shape learning and the delivery of education services. Programs and initiatives within the strategy are directed at supporting school leadership teams to identify where their schools are now, where they want to be and how are they are going to get there.

Unlocking the potential

Smart Classrooms recognises there is still untapped potential that can be realised through the collaboration and sharing of best practice within the learning community. This is consolidated through a defined approach to systems focused on the user, that blend local and centrally provided content, delivered through a range of services that promote innovation.

This strategy promotes tailored professional development programs that showcase personalised learning through efficient use of eLearning tools and spaces. It provides the foundation that will allow teachers and school leaders to work together to deliver quality teaching and learning in a contemporary environment.

Enabling innovation

The department has taken significant steps towards transforming into an eBusiness to meet the future needs of education and schooling. The next phase of Smart Classrooms is about enabling innovation - creating the launch pad for shifting from traditional to transformational ways of working and learning.

Through Smart Classroom programs technology and learning platforms have been provided to enable creativity and innovation in the classroom. Students and teachers can now interact (learn, discover, collaborate, create and share) in a safe, fun, engaging and supportive
environment.

The Smart Classrooms eLearning Index has been revised to reflect this new strategy, and therefore places greater emphasis on learning and allows schools to respond to
the challenges of living and learning in a dynamic digital world.

The table on pages 3-4 provides the outline of the Index and showcases the various Smart Classrooms projects that fit across its four new drivers:

• Working Digitally
• Developing Professionals
• Enabling Learners
• Harnessing the Enterprise Platform.

School leaders are encouraged to engage with each of these Smart Classrooms initiatives to further promote an
eLearning culture.

eLearning planning

The School ICT eLearning Census collects information to aid in the calculation of the School ICT Grant and inform schools of their progress through the School eLearning Index.

The Index provides schools with a point-in-time overview of school readiness across the four new Smart Classrooms drivers. It may be used as a planning tool to help school leaders identify priority issues that may require targeted strategies.

The Index provides measurable data for schools from year to year to support long term strategic planning.

The Smart Classrooms Planning Cycle enables schools to utilise related information sources to plan for school
improvement across areas identified as future priorities.

This transformation is supporting a change in focus from school outcomes to student outcomes - and enabling personalised learning to become a reality.

Teaching and learning productivity

Smart Classrooms will deliver opportunities to improve teaching and learning productivity through improved access to aligned and complementary learning opportunities, resources and expertise for students and teachers.

Productivity is also increased in the school and classroom through more efficient ways of delivering a new and innovative range of shared services and opportunities for collaboration through targeted professional development and training. This will effectively position Queensland in a knowledge-based economy.

Being green

Through this strategy we will begin to address the sustainable use of ICT in ways that, where possible, reduce the department’s environmental footprint and build knowledge and commitment for a sustainable future. ...

From: 2011-2014 Smart Classrooms strategy, Queensland Department of Education and Training, 2011

George Bray Showing the Use of Broadband Across Australia

Digital video maker George Bray has set off around Australia to highlight the benefits of high speed broadband with The Broadband Show and is looking for sponsors.

Ten years ago George set out on the Tech Trek. In a motor-home filled with the the latest computer and telecommunications equipment, sponsored by the industry, he demonstrated the use of the Internet to regional Australia. The trek ended at a computer show in Sydney with the motor-home on display.

The emphasis on this second trek is on high speed applications, particularly video. His latest report is from the Sunshine Coast, north of Brisbane in Queensland. In 2007 I visited University of the Sunshine Coast, looked at their computer aided learning and the Thinlinx computer company (makers of thin client computers) at their technology park.

Gallery of Modern Art Queensland

The Gallery of Modern Art Queensland (GOMA) proved an entertaining place to spend a half a day. The gallery is part of the Brisbane South Bank cultural precienct, next to the Queensland State Library. The venue was lively with many groups of school chldren interacting with modern artworks, such as a slippery slide (Carsten Holler's Left/Right Slide, 2010) and building buildings with Lego. Other works of interest were Zhoux Iahn's Utopian Theatre (2006), Arlo Mountford's The Folly (2007-08) and Julian Opie's People Walking (2008).

GoMA runs an excellent talk series in conjunction with ABC Radio, Thursday fortnights, with the next 14 April, for "Future Tense". I attended 31 Match "Science: How are Health and the environment linked in the 21 Century ..." for "Australia Talks". Unfortunately I could not find a usable web site for the talks from either GoMA or the ABC. Like many cultural institutions, GOMA has a website (which I now can't find) where style has triumphed over substance: as a result it is very difficult to find any useful information. The ABC has good information on the past talks, but not upcoming ones.

Flood Relief Payments Delayed by Manual Processing

The Premier of Queensland, Anna Bligh, has apologised for delays in processing of payments from the Premiers Disaster Relief Appeal. The Premier has ordered that the process be overhauled. Unfortunately, it appears that the processing was being done manually and there are no plans to change this, so it is unlikely the process will be significantly improved.

The Premier explained that about 100 people were working on processing applications and directed more people be put on this if needed. However, more people are unlikely to greatly speed up a manual processing system. Also diverting government staff to this task will mean they are not available to assist flood victims. Using automation would allow the process to be done in minutes, rather than days.

To Apply for Premier’s Disaster Relief Funds applicants are required to fill in a seven page form. The Premier's Disaster Relief Appeal emergency assistance form is provided as a 54 Kbyte PDF file which can be downloaded. The instructions say "Please use black or blue pen" and to return the form by Fax, Post or in person.

There is no provision to fill the form in online and return it electronically. As a result there will be delays while the form is delivered to the processing centre and further delays and errors as staff then manually transcribe the details from the form into systems to record and check the details.

The Queensland government should consider providing an online version of the form. This could be completed directly by the applicant using their own computer or smart phone, or by staff in a Community Recovery Centre. Much of the processing could then be carried out automatically.

The form could also be made much simpler and easier to fill out by making use of existing government databases. Rather than ask the applicant for details which are then checked against government records, the needed information could be simply extracted from those systems. This would particularly be of use where applicants copies of documentation have been lost in the disaster.

Queensland Floods Commission of Inquiry

Justice Catherine Holmes, Jim O’Sullivan AC and Phillip Cummins commenced the Queensland Floods Commission of Inquiry today. Their Terms of Reference include the adequacy of equipment and communications systems. Written submissions are invited by 5.00pm, 11 March 2011. The final report is due by January 2012.

My postings on the January 2010 Australian Floods may be of interest to the commission. The 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission contacted me about postings on emergency communications.

a) the preparation and planning by federal, state and local governments; emergency services and the community for the 2010/2011 floods in Queensland,

b) the performance of private insurers in meeting their claims responsibilities,

c) all aspects of the response to the 2010/2011 flood events, particularly measures taken to inform the community and measures to protect life and private and public property, including

• immediate management, response and recovery
• resourcing, overall coordination and deployment of personnel and equipment
• adequacy of equipment and communications systems; and
• the adequacy of the community’s response.

d) the measures to manage the supply of essential services such as power, water and communications during the 2010/2011 flood events,

e) adequacy of forecasts and early warning systems particularly as they related to the flooding events in Toowoomba, and the Lockyer and Brisbane Valleys,

f) implementation of the systems operation plans for dams across the state and in particular the Wivenhoe and Somerset release strategy and an assessment of compliance with, and the suitability of the operational procedures relating to flood mitigation and dam safety,

g) all aspects of land use planning through local and regional planning systems to minimise infrastructure and property impacts from floods,

h) in undertaking its inquiries, the Commission is required to:

• take into account the regional and geographic differences across affected communities; and
• seek public submissions and hold public hearings in affected communities. ...

From: Terms of Reference, Commissions of Inquiry Order (No.1)k, The State of Queensland, 2011.

Use of Telecommuncations and Effect of Tropical Cyclone Yasi

Had a call from Channel 7 asking me to talk to the Sunrise team ("Mel" and "Kochi") at 3pm about the effect Tropical Cyclone Yasi will have on telecommunications and how it will be used to deal with the emergency.

Websites
One topic is how websites can be used to provide information for people to prepare for a cyclone and deal with recovery. Channel 7 itself has a useful list of Cyclone emergency info. One tip is to look at the web address for "qld.gov.au" to see the information is from the Queensland government. Channel 7 lists:

1. Weather Bureau cyclone warnings
2. Queensland Disaster Management
3. Emergency Management Queensland
4. Cairns Regional Council
5. Cassowary Coast Council
6. Townsville Council
7. Storm surge info

A list of Evacuation Centres is also provided, but there does not appear to be a government web site for these.

eLearning Services for Flood Recovery

eLearning Services at the Queensland Department of Education and Training has made ‘virtual classroom’ spaces available for students where the floods have disrupted normal classes. This initiative could be usefully expanded to be part of an Australian Learning Commons to provide educational resources to students across Australia.

Maths, English & Science materials are provided, including:

• Resources - self-paced digital learning resources by year level
• Activities - self-paced structured lessons by year level
• Programs - self-paced vodcasts or daily scheduled multimedia events by year level

There is also a special collaborative project Healing words - Helping hands for Education Queensland teachers to discuss the floods and share experiences.

Volunteer flood mapping for Queensland

The MAPS mapping volunteers have posted an interesting report on their work mapping the Queensland floods:

... RCQ created a project that involved volunteers from GISCorps and MAPS. This project produced a number of documents which outlined possible scenarios, hardware and software requirements, etc. The GISCorp volunteers also focused on mapping the capacisty of RCQ Emergency Services in the pre emergency period.

During December 2010 the rain really started falling and on the 29th MAPS recieved a call for assistance. ...

Flood affected archives and libraries

The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) has complied a List of libraries in flood affected areas for the recent Queensland and Victorian floods. The Australian Society of Archivists (ASA) is compiling a similar Register of Disaster Affected Archives. The Register will be used by Blue Shield Australia with helping save cultural heritage. Organisations are asked to send details of affected archives.

Disaster Preparedness for Cultural Institutions

The Queensland Disaster Information Network (Q-DIS) is sharing information on disaster preparedness and planning for museums, which is relevant to the floods in Queensland.

Inquiry into Queensland floods

The Premier of Queensland, Anna Bligh, announced a Commission of Inquiry unto Queensland’s January floods. This will be headed by Justice Cate Holmes, with former Queensland Police Commissioner Jim O’Sullivan, and Phil Cummins, chairman of the International Commission on Large Dams. It will look at preparation and planning, performance of private insurers, equipment and communications, forecasts and early warning systems.

Available are a media release "Premier establishes Commission of Inquiry into flood disaster"and "Terms of Reference":

TERMS OF REFERENCE

The Commission’s Terms of Reference will require the Commission to deliver:

• an interim report by 1 August 2011 (on matters associated with flood preparedness to enable early recommendations to be implemented before next summer’s wet season); and
• its final report by 17 January 2012

The Commission will be asked to inquire into and report on:

• The preparation and planning by federal, State and local governments; emergency services and the community for the 2010/2011 floods in Queensland.
• The performance of private insurers in meeting their claims responsibilities.
• All aspects of the response to the 2010/2011 flood events, particularly measures taken to inform the community and measures to protect life and private and public property, including:
  • immediate management, response and recovery;
  • resourcing, overall coordination and deployment of personnel and equipment;
  • adequacy of equipment and communications systems; and
  • the adequacy of the community’s response.
• The measures to manage the supply of essential services such as power, water and communications during the 2010/2011 flood events
• Adequacy of forecasts and early warning systems particularly as they related to the flooding events in Toowoomba, and the Lockyer and Brisbane Valleys.
• Implementation of the systems operation plans for dams across the state and in particular the Wivenhoe and Somerset release strategy and an assessment of compliance with, and the suitability of the operational procedures relating to flood mitigation and dam safety.
• All aspects of land use planning through local and regional planning systems to minimise infrastructure and property impacts from floods.
• In undertaking its inquiries, the Commission is required to:
  • Take into account the regional and geographic differences across affected communities.
  • Seek public submissions and hold public hearings in affected communities.
• The Commission of Inquiry is also required to make recommendations which it considers appropriate, feasible and cost effective to improve:
  • The preparation and planning for future flood threats and risks, in particular the prevention of the loss of life.
  • The emergency response in natural disaster events.
  • Any legislative changes needed to better protect life and property in natural disaster events.

From: Terms of Reference, Commission of Inquiry into flood disaster, Premier of Queensland, 17 January 2011

Google Crisis Response

Google have created a "Google Crisis Response" webpage, with useful links on the January 2010 Australian Floods. There is a Queensland Floods Map and links to:

• Queensland Government Flood Information
• Realtime Updates from Queensland
• ABC Flood Crisis Map (Ushahidi)
• Red Cross National Registration and Inquiry System
• ABC emergency website