Tropical Cyclone Alfred live updates: Extreme weather event triggers more evacuations across NSW

Anthony Albanese has activated the national disaster reponse plan and will stay in the situation room in Canberra to provide updates to the nation.

“A crisis coordination team that will operate out of here and I intend operating out of here for coming days,” Mr Albanese said.

“It’s probably the best place I can be to make sure that there is seamless activity between New South Wales and Queensland. So, put it in your diary, this time tomorrow, I intend to be here again.

“But if need be, as required, if there’s a further update required then I will do that this afternoon.

“The national coordination mechanism is providing support and importantly, we have people from NEMA there in the meeting where I was yesterday, in Queensland, similarly in the New South Wales coordination as well.”

The Australian Defence Force has been mobilised as the PM co-ordinates the Cyclone Alfred disaster management plans from Canberra.

“We’ve delivered 310,000 sand bags into Brisbane for distribution across councils and there’s more on their way,” Mr Albanese said.

“60 ADF personnel and 30 high clearance vehicles are pre-positioned to go to Queensland and support police and SES volunteers as we move to the recovery phase.

“They’ll door knock to identify and support at-risk people. We have approved in addition to that two ADF search and rescue choppers to support Queensland post-crossing.

“Yesterday we pre-positioned heavy lift helicopters from our national aerial firefighting fleet. It’s being deployed to Coffs Harbour, and a UH60 Black Hawk is being pre-positioned in Bundaberg.”

The PM has announced a range of relief funding and efforts from government ahead of the impact of Cyclone Alfred.

“More than 660 schools are closed across south east Queensland and more than 280 schools are closed across northern New South Wales,” Mr Albanese told reporters on Thursday.

“I can as well update you on the following response from the Commonwealth. We’ve received a request from both Queensland and New South Wales overnight.

“There will be early recovery grants of $1 million for affected councils, I will sign off on those at Parliament House immediately after this finishes.”

Anthony Albanese has called on business to play their role in assisting the Australian community in the path of Cyclone Alfred.

“Supermarkets, telcos, banking, freight companies, are all of the organisations which will play a role first in preparedness, then in dealing with the impact of this cyclone and, in the recovery period which will occur.”

“My message to people, whether they be in south east Queensland or northern New South Wales, is we are there to support you.

“We have your back. We respect the work that you are doing in your preparedness and we know that this is tough times and that’s why every Australian, regardless of where they are in this great country of ours, is thinking of you over the coming period.”

The PM is in the national emergency command centre and is discussing the impending arrival of Cyclone Alfred.

“These are tough times but Australians are tough people and we’re resilient people. I have been in contact with the Queensland and New South Wales premiers again this morning.”

“I spoke with the mayor of Lismore, Steve Kreig, and he spoke about what a tough night he’s had with himself and his partner. You know, they are still in recovery mode. They’ve had hit after hit after hit.”

“At the worst of times we always see the best of Australian character. I said yesterday that there were no political parties in this process, and there are no borders.”

Read the full story here.

“There are three things we are worried about when it comes to this cyclone,” Mr Minns told Sunrise.

“Dangerous seas, particularly surf conditions and their impact on the coast, then the wind and you’re already seeing wind of up to 100km now at Cape Byron and that will move inland as the storm creeps in to the coast, and then finally riverine flooding.

When the storm comes through and starts to pass, (we) still expect parts of flooding in the Northern Rivers.

“We need to send a clear message to people (to) not to drive through flood rivers under any circumstances.

“It is the most common way people lose their lives. You put yourself and your passengers in danger, as well as SES volunteers sent in to try to rescue you.”

NSW Premier Chris Minns says Lismore residents, who endured horrific floods in 2022, are “ready for the next 72 hours”.

“The town of Lismore has been to hell and back over the last few years,” Mr Minns told Sunrise.

“2022 was a devastating natural disaster. One that was not just in Lismore’s history but in Australia’s history.

“But they are resilient people, and they get back on their feet. We are seeing that again.

“The town is ready for the next 72 hours, but you wouldn’t wish this on your worst enemy. Obviously (it’s) very traumatic and brings out some terrible memories for a tough town.”

“The window has been pushed back and (with) these things, there always is a huge degree of variability,” Mr Crisafulli told Sunrise.

“Exactly where it will cross, that window remains between the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast, that will tighten as it gets closer.

“The strength and exactly when that will be will be determined as the speed that it comes in.

“My message to Queenslanders and indeed to those in northern NSW is we are all taking this seriously and we are asking you to do the same.

“We have pre-deployed a lot of asset, everything from people, health workers on islands, to generators, we are prepared.

“There will be no daylight between the response and the recovery, but you’ve got to do a little bit now and I’m assuring you (that) you will get to it.

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli has told residents in the path of Cyclone Alfred they have some extra time to prepare but warned this system “packs a punch”.

“It is a system that certainly packs a punch and the potential for waves, wind, rain fall and then eventually flooding remains real,” Mr Crisafulli told Sunrise.

The premier said landfall has been delayed but “it remains a category two system”.

“To give you an indication of the kind of severity of it, we recorded a wave, I just got briefed a moment ago, 12.3 m off the coast of the Gold Coast at Main Beach.

“We have never seen a wave height recorded like that, so it is a strong system and that delayed run into the coast does give people who may not have finished their preparations that little bit more of a window.”

Residents at risk from significant storm surges and flooding have been urged to get into a safe space as the time to relocate has now lapsed.

Weather modelling shows almost 20,000 properties could be impacted by storm surges or flooding.

These 20,000 properties could experience anything from mild inundation in their yards to significant flooding in their homes and property damage.

The Bureau of Meteorology is expecting peak storm surges to occur from Thursday.

Residents are urged to inspect the mapping on council websites and make arrangements if their property is at significant risk.