Brisbane River fully reopens to recreational boating
The Brisbane River’s clean-up is almost complete after storms wreaked havoc on the waterwayThe Brisbane River has today fully reopened to recreational vessels after unprecedented storms in February and March wreaked havoc on the waterway.
Maritime Safety Queensland announced today that the waterway had reopened after more than 6700 tonnes of debris – everything from water tanks to trees, pontoons and even boats – was collected over a six-week period with the help of the Royal Australian Navy.
Part of the recovery process also focused on boats, with around 60 salvaged including a CityCat ferry, as well as around 40 pontoons including one used as a floating restaurant.
Navigational markers were also badly affected, with around 60 needing to be reinstated in the wake of the storm damage.
However, the work will go on with Maritime Safety Queensland about to embark on a hydrographic survey of the Brisbane River to identify any sunken debris that will still need removing.
At the height of the storms, debris was swept into Moreton Bay and beyond creating hazards far out to sea from Brisbane.
Despite the damage from high rainfall, the flooding around Brisbane has not been as severe as flooding that occurred in 2011.
During the most recent flooding, Maritime Safety Queensland set up an incident control centre during the latest floods to help track down the owners of boats and jet skis that either broke their moorings and were swept away, or sunken as they collided with bridges and other riverside infrastructure.
It is not known how many were lost during the storms.
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