Cyclone Alfred: Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton take different front lines in tropical cyclone prep

Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton share a common goal this week, helping Australians in Tropical Cyclone Alfred’s path get through the rare weather event — but on Wednesday they were on different front lines.

The Prime Minster stood with LNP Queensland Premier David Crisafulli as officials provided a lengthy update on the category 2 system, which is set to cross the coast between Brisbane and the Gold Coast late on Thursday night or early Friday morning at high tide.

The Opposition Leader, whose electorate of Dickson is in the firing line, has received briefings from the Premier and authorities, but on Wednesday his priority was closer to home.

“I think we should do whatever we can to help family and neighbours. I’ve got an elderly aunt who lives not too far away from us, so going to do some sandbagging at her place later on today,” he told 4BC, adding that while he hasn’t been organised enough to tape up his windows that was something “we should consider”.

The cyclone — which officials say could bring winds of up to 95 km/h and rainfall totals of up to 800mm and could impact about 20,000 homes — may wind up derailing any plans Mr Albanese may have had of calling an election this weekend.

Mr Dutton said he hoped the cyclone did not have the full impact being anticipated, but that if it did trigger significant flooding and damage “the Prime Minister would have a tin ear” if he called an election in the immediate aftermath.

He said it would be “a mistake” to call it on Sunday, “and I think the Prime Minister would regret doing so”.

“There will be people waiting for waters to (recede), there will be swift water rescues, there will be people cleaning out their houses or their businesses, and some people will have lost everything. That’s the reality of these weather events,” he said.

“(The election is) not due until the 17th of May, so he’s got plenty of time to sort out when it is, but he may well have been intending to go this weekend. But I think it would be difficult in the circumstances.

“I think people probably want from their Prime Minister governing, not campaigning, at a time like this.”

Mr Albanese said the same when he was asked about election timing in Brisbane on Wednesday.

“My focus is on governing, that’s what I am here for. I’ve been asked every day for the last year about election timing. I am focused on governing, that is the sole focus that I have,” he said.

Mr Albanese will try to travel to northern NSW later on Wednesday, and has suggested the plans he had to visit WA later this week before their election on Saturday could be scrapped.

“I was due to travel to Western Australia on Friday and Saturday but chances are I intend to stay on the east coast,” he said.

“NEMA (the National Emergency Management Agency) is based in Canberra, that is a good place to monitor what is happening nationally.”

‘Be prepared’

As of Wednesday evening, the system was 325km east of Brisbane and 305km east of the Gold Coast, moving west towards the coast at 14km/h.

The Bureau of Meteorology said the system was forecast to maintain its intensity as a category 2 cyclone as it continues to approach the coast.

Schools in northern NSW and southeast Queensland will be closed on Thursday. Premier Crisafulli said public transport will be suspended for Thursday and Friday. Elective surgeries have also been cancelled for the rest of the week.

The ADF is now engaged, and the Federal Government has pre-positioned heavy-lifting helicopters from the National Aerial Firefighting Fleet to support the NSW and Queensland Governments.

The Federal Government has also declared an emergency for childcare services in the 15 local government areas at risk, meaning centres will continue to get subsidies and can wave gap fees, and families can have unlimited absences during that period without penalty.

The bureau is predicting very damaging winds may develop late on Wednesday into early Thursday, increasing to destructive winds.

Large swells and powerful waves observed along the coast for the past several days, which has triggered severe coastal erosion and inundation, will continue and “likely get worse” as the cyclone approaches.

“As it crosses, likely near the high tide that happens in the early hours of Friday morning, we will see elevated sea levels between a half to one metre above the normal highest tides that people see,” Matthew Collopy from the bureau said.

“There is some modelling that indicates it may even be slightly higher than that for locations around the south bay of Redlands and the Gold Coast.”

Winds near the centre could reach 95 km/h, with gusts of up to 130 km/h. Those could be up to 155 km/h in coastal and island locations near and to the south of the cyclone’s track.

The bureau said daily rainfall totals of 200 to 400 millimetres are possible, and about 20,000 homes in Brisbane are at risk of storm surge and flooding.

The suburbs at highest risk are Nudgee Beach, Brighton, Windsor, Ashgrove, Morningside, and Rocklea.

“This is a serious event, but if you do the little things, you will get through it,” Mr Crisafulli said on Wednesday afternoon, praising Queenslanders for their resilience.

“This is an extremely rare event. It has been half a century since a system of this size crossed this far south, but they do happen and you can get through them if you do the preparation now.”

He said given the system was likely to make landfall late at night or early in the morning it was crucial to do the work now.

“I want to stress why it is important to prepare now. There is a chance this cyclone will cross in the middle of the night with a high tide,” Mr Crisafulli said.

“That is not the time to be making your evacuation plan, now is the time.”

Mr Albanese had also urged those in Alfred’s path to “prepare” and “take this seriously”.

“To everyone in the warning zone, please stay informed, follow advice from emergency services, and take the necessary precautions to keep yourself and your family safe,” he said.