'This isn’t a time for sightseeing': PM Albanese calls for safety during Cyclone Alfred

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese provides an update on Tropical Cyclone Alfred on Friday morning, March 7, 2025.

Transcript

00:00The latest modelling, as you've heard from Joe, is that tropical cyclone Alfred will

00:07make impact in the early hours of tomorrow morning or at some stage tomorrow it would

00:13appear.

00:15Rainfall and wind impacts are expected to continue increasing throughout today.

00:21We're starting to see the impact on the coast, the record wave heights recorded at the Gold

00:27Coast of 12.3 metres.

00:31Can I say that, you know, everyone has to accept personal responsibility here too.

00:37This isn't a time for sightseeing or for seeing what it's like to experience these conditions

00:44first hand.

00:46Please stay safe, be sensible and keep distance from these events and the impact that is happening.

00:56There are a number of areas where people are being asked to evacuate.

01:00It's important that if the SES is advising you to evacuate by a certain time you do so.

01:07They have knowledge, they have expertise, they have experience.

01:10We have generators in the national stockpile and can send them when we receive a request

01:15from either of the state governments and when it is safe to do so.

01:19However, I stress this will not be enough to solve the issue of potentially tens of

01:25thousands of homes without power and that is why it is so important to be prepared at

01:31your home.

01:33Monitor and follow the messaging provided by your local energy and telecom providers

01:39for updates.

01:40Make sure you have emergency battery packs fully charged to be used only for essential

01:46purposes.

01:48Some of Services Australia's centres in Queensland and northern New South Wales are closed.

01:53People can complete their business online or by calling their regular payment line.

02:00Be prepared and download and set up the MyGov app on your mobile device.

02:06Virgin and Qantas have paused flights to and from the Brisbane Gold Coast and Ballina Byron

02:11airports.

02:12More than 1,000 schools are closed across Queensland and more than 280 schools are closed

02:18across northern New South Wales.

02:20I do want to thank the emergency services personnel, local government disaster management

02:25staff and the thousands of volunteers working to keep our community safe.