Victims of 2011 Brisbane flood to receive $440m settlement
Thousands of victims of the 2011 floods are set to receive compensation in a $440 million settlement.
More than 6500 victims of the Brisbane and Ipswich floods will benefit from the settlement, which was reached with the state government and water supplier SunWater over the negligent operation of the Wivenhoe and Somerset dams.
The floating walkway at New Farm during the 2011 flood.Credit:Michelle Smith
Floods across Queensland and NSW resulted in the deaths of 35 people and affected more than 200,000 others.
The settlement covers 50 per cent of the liability for the damage suffered by flood victims.
Maurice Blackburn principal lawyer Rebecca Gilsenan said the $440 million settlement came after a long and arduous legal battle for flood victims.
“It has now been 10 years since the Brisbane and Ipswich floods, so this settlement is a very welcome development that we hope will bring some much-needed closure to our clients, who have had to endure significant uncertainty and frustration while the defendants fought this case at every turn,” Ms Gilsenan said.
Volunteers cleaning out a home along Donatello Street in Fig Tree Pocket after the flood in 2011. Credit:Andy Zakeli
The action was filed in the NSW Supreme Court in July 2014, and alleged that the dam operators were negligent in failing to use rainfall forecasts in making decisions about operating strategies, and failing to preserve a reasonable amount of the dams’ storage capacity to provide optimum protection of urbanised areas from inundation.
A third defendant, Seqwater, which is 50 per cent liable for the damage, is not a party to the settlement and will continue to appeal NSW Supreme Court Justice Robert Beech-Jones’s 2019 decision that it failed to operate dams properly or take in account rainfall forecasts when releasing water.
“Of course, complete closure can only happen for our clients when Seqwater also settles or Seqwater’s appeal is finalised,” Ms Gilsenan said.
“The class will continue to vigorously fight Seqwater’s appeal, buoyed by today’s substantial settlement reached with the other two defendants.”