Brisbane here we come!

[BacktoDemocracy]

12 minutes ago, Gbye grey sky said:

Sorry to tell you that box will be useless for huntsman spiders.  Relatively harmless but as large as your hand and they move like lightening.  Relatively harmless but I am always keen to remove them.

 

A tupperware box always seemed to get them, but they are big.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Sophie Goodall said:

Hi Rachel

Thank you so much!

It was Quantity Surveyor, and our application was lodged November 6, 2018, and I believe we were granted on March 11,2018. We put our application in with the CRB and health check so it went straight to grant.

Good luck with your application

Wow! That was quick! Really quick! 

May I ask your points score please? 

So you got your health and police checks uploaded on to immi account at same time as submitted EOI? Or after invite? 

We are hoping for state sponsorship for the 190 as a quantity surveyor in either NSW, or ACT. 

Just submitted EOI and wondering how long our wait could be.

Thank you 

[francy]

Hi,

In regards to cats - we've been here for 4 yrs now.  Had 2 cats in the uk which we didn't bring with us.  Mainly because of the costs and putting them in quarantine. A lot of people over here don't like cats as 'they kill the native wildlife'.

We have since got 2 cats here and not once have they killed and brought us a gift back.  In some states there are rules they have be inside from 8pm - 7am (i think) we generally have ours locked in at night time.

If you have family happy to look after them I would go with that.  The process for transporting cats can be long as they have to have a test or injection from the vet and then you have to wait something like 180 days for the next stage. Costs from what I recall are around $6000 for the 2 cats.

I got more upset about leaving the cats then family! 

Hope this helps & congrats on your visa. We're in NSW but looking into moving up to QLD, Sunshine Coast.

[Guest]

I think you’re going to have quit a shock if you think the traffic in Brisbane isn’t bad, it’s not only bad but the people can’t drive. I live right in the city by the bridge and I can’t go anywhere after work unless I leave before 2.30 or after 7pm. To be fair I don’t often need or want to leave the city I love Brisbane cbd, I don’t think I could live anywhere past Bowen hills kangaroo point Newstead or Paddington though. Not much going off outside in the burbs. 

It really is a stunning city, I flew over the other night on my way home from work and it looks just as stunning from the air. 

Good luck. Brisbane has been really good too me. 

[LouDYorkie]

I live on the bayside (to the east of the city) and I work in the city.
When we first moved here we lived in Auchenflower (west of the city). Very close to the city, trains every few minutes at peak times and a lovely place, we initially thought we would stay around there-but once we went to the bayside, drove along the Manly esplanade we realised that it was the place for us (and a good couple of degrees cooler generally too). No real beach but it’s not that hard to drive north or south to one, it’s also less than 20 minutes from the airport which is great for my work travel etc when I’m not in the city which is 30 minutes by train.
My advice would be to rent somewhere fairly central/ close to work, then go out each weekend and have a coffee / breakfast and a walk around different suburbs to get a feel for where you would like to be.
Just an amusing story from when we arrived: We landed in November and when we were walking suburbs to see if we liked them, we discounted some immediately because we were horrified that there was so much rubbish out on the streets... Turned out it was council collection weekend for those suburbs and not just a particularly grubby part of the city as we’d thought [emoji23]

[Sophie Goodall]

Hi,
In regards to cats - we've been here for 4 yrs now.  Had 2 cats in the uk which we didn't bring with us.  Mainly because of the costs and putting them in quarantine. A lot of people over here don't like cats as 'they kill the native wildlife'.
We have since got 2 cats here and not once have they killed and brought us a gift back.  In some states there are rules they have be inside from 8pm - 7am (i think) we generally have ours locked in at night time.
If you have family happy to look after them I would go with that.  The process for transporting cats can be long as they have to have a test or injection from the vet and then you have to wait something like 180 days for the next stage. Costs from what I recall are around $6000 for the 2 cats.
I got more upset about leaving the cats then family! 
Hope this helps & congrats on your visa. We're in NSW but looking into moving up to QLD, Sunshine Coast.

Hi Francy,

Thanks for your post and I’m sorry for the late reply!

My husbands sister is going to look after the older cat, we honestly don’t think he’d survive the flight...he’s such an anxious cat anyway [emoji22] and the younger one a friend of ours has said she’d love to take in if we can’t take them. We have thought long and hard about it and to be honest we would be taking them for selfish reasons if we did. Both of them love to explore (our little one literally chases me to the coach stop every time she can when I try to go to work!!) and I just don’t think it’s fair for us to take them and keep them under lock and key. Every cat is different, and I know my parents cat would quite happily stay in the garden and the house as she never leaves the garden; she was hit by a car a few years back and one of her legs is all pinned, so she can’t really climb or jump fences, but she lives a good life!

Perhaps once we are there and settled we might not feel so worried but I’ve read some awful threads about cats being maliciously harmed and I just don’t think I’d forgive myself if anything happened to them. I know if they stay here they’ll be really well looked after and we can see them any time so that’s comforting!

Thank you for story, it’s great to hear other people’s perspectives. Good luck with the move, wishing you all the best!

We’ve finally decided to set a date and intend to head out on 22 Sept, arriving on 23 Sept which is ironic because it’s the same date that we moved into our house here! [emoji4]

[Sophie Goodall]

I think you’re going to have quit a shock if you think the traffic in Brisbane isn’t bad, it’s not only bad but the people can’t drive. I live right in the city by the bridge and I can’t go anywhere after work unless I leave before 2.30 or after 7pm. To be fair I don’t often need or want to leave the city I love Brisbane cbd, I don’t think I could live anywhere past Bowen hills kangaroo point Newstead or Paddington though. Not much going off outside in the burbs. 
It really is a stunning city, I flew over the other night on my way home from work and it looks just as stunning from the air. 
Good luck. Brisbane has been really good too me. 

Thanks for your message!

Honestly I currently spend 4 hours a day minimum travelling from Kent to London for work, which at the weekends can take 45 mins each way so anyyyyything is better than that. When we visited everyone complained about the traffic though, so I guess it’s all relative.

We’re thinking of starting out somewhere central and then moving out to the suburbs once we have work and are settled, so that’s definitely something to consider.

[Sophie Goodall]

I live on the bayside (to the east of the city) and I work in the city.
When we first moved here we lived in Auchenflower (west of the city). Very close to the city, trains every few minutes at peak times and a lovely place, we initially thought we would stay around there-but once we went to the bayside, drove along the Manly esplanade we realised that it was the place for us (and a good couple of degrees cooler generally too). No real beach but it’s not that hard to drive north or south to one, it’s also less than 20 minutes from the airport which is great for my work travel etc when I’m not in the city which is 30 minutes by train.
My advice would be to rent somewhere fairly central/ close to work, then go out each weekend and have a coffee / breakfast and a walk around different suburbs to get a feel for where you would like to be.
Just an amusing story from when we arrived: We landed in November and when we were walking suburbs to see if we liked them, we discounted some immediately because we were horrified that there was so much rubbish out on the streets... Turned out it was council collection weekend for those suburbs and not just a particularly grubby part of the city as we’d thought [emoji23]

Hi,

Thanks for this! We definitely agree, staying centrally until we get our bearings and then moving out to the suburbs is a great idea.

It’s so hard trying to pick somewhere just from forums, reviews and property ads, we definitely need to get out and get a proper feel for the areas.

What a great story and we’ll definitely bear that in mind when we look around [emoji23]

[Ferrets]

On 26/05/2019 at 16:49, Sophie Goodall said:

Hi,

Thanks for this! We definitely agree, staying centrally until we get our bearings and then moving out to the suburbs is a great idea.

It’s so hard trying to pick somewhere just from forums, reviews and property ads, we definitely need to get out and get a proper feel for the areas.

What a great story and we’ll definitely bear that in mind when we look around

A key point is your age & circumstances.

We moved over mid thirties 3 years ago with a 3 & 2 year old.  We headed Bayside and love it here in Wynnum, but that took a couple of rentals on the way.

If we didn't have the kids would have gone to Kangaroo Point for our rentals and gotten to know the city and work out what works for us with commutes and work.

On wildlife we have seen nothing untoward other than Cane Toads.  When we first arrived we tried to catch the geckos in the house and release them ..last night we watch one crawl over that wall and laughed how we used to worry about them.

Congratulations, September is a great time to arrive

[BacktoDemocracy]

On 26/05/2019 at 07:44, Sophie Goodall said:

Hi Francy,

Thanks for your post and I’m sorry for the late reply!

My husbands sister is going to look after the older cat, we honestly don’t think he’d survive the flight...he’s such an anxious cat anyway and the younger one a friend of ours has said she’d love to take in if we can’t take them. We have thought long and hard about it and to be honest we would be taking them for selfish reasons if we did. Both of them love to explore (our little one literally chases me to the coach stop every time she can when I try to go to work!!) and I just don’t think it’s fair for us to take them and keep them under lock and key. Every cat is different, and I know my parents cat would quite happily stay in the garden and the house as she never leaves the garden; she was hit by a car a few years back and one of her legs is all pinned, so she can’t really climb or jump fences, but she lives a good life!

Perhaps once we are there and settled we might not feel so worried but I’ve read some awful threads about cats being maliciously harmed and I just don’t think I’d forgive myself if anything happened to them. I know if they stay here they’ll be really well looked after and we can see them any time so that’s comforting!

Thank you for story, it’s great to hear other people’s perspectives. Good luck with the move, wishing you all the best!

We’ve finally decided to set a date and intend to head out on 22 Sept, arriving on 23 Sept which is ironic because it’s the same date that we moved into our house here!

Just one comment, have you thought of breaking your flight at Singapore or Dubai, it makes it much more pleasant and hotels in Singapore used to be cheapish and taxi’s as well, it makes the journey much more bearable

[rammygirl]

8 hours ago, BacktoDemocracy said:

Just one comment, have you thought of breaking your flight at Singapore or Dubai, it makes it much more pleasant and hotels in Singapore used to be cheapish and taxi’s as well, it makes the journey much more bearable

When did you last go to Singapore?  It is a great place but decent hotels in good spots are definitely not cheap. I would spend time there rather than Dubai.

[Marisawright]

2 hours ago, rammygirl said:

When did you last go to Singapore?  It is a great place but decent hotels in good spots are definitely not cheap. I would spend time there rather than Dubai.

For me, the value of the Singapore stopover is the chance to shower and have a few hours sleep. Then you arrive in Australia fresh and ready to go. There are good transit hotels inside the airport and there is so much to do at the airport itself, you don’t even need to go through passport control

[WayneM]

Good luck with the move; your timeline is pretty similar to ours, and I can empathise with your situation of trying to pick suburbs remotely. Even more of an issue for us as we'd rather minimise disruption for the kids by sticking to the same schools etc rather than ping-ponging them about the city (they've already lived in two countries so far this year!). Maybe it is an impossible goal!

[Marisawright]

6 hours ago, WayneM said:

Good luck with the move; your timeline is pretty similar to ours, and I can empathise with your situation of trying to pick suburbs remotely. Even more of an issue for us as we'd rather minimise disruption for the kids by sticking to the same schools etc rather than ping-ponging them about the city (they've already lived in two countries so far this year!). Maybe it is an impossible goal!

Don't rush to put them in school, then?  The reality is that it's almost impossible to pick suburbs remotely.   We've seen so many people post here to say they spent hours poring over Google Maps and real estate sites - but once they were able to actually drive round the suburbs, they realised that you can't tell the vibe of a suburb from the internet, and they had to start again. 

You're going to have to book four weeks in a holiday place anyway.

[Quoll]

12 hours ago, WayneM said:

Good luck with the move; your timeline is pretty similar to ours, and I can empathise with your situation of trying to pick suburbs remotely. Even more of an issue for us as we'd rather minimise disruption for the kids by sticking to the same schools etc rather than ping-ponging them about the city (they've already lived in two countries so far this year!). Maybe it is an impossible goal!

I'd agree with Marisawright, don't worry about getting the kids into school, wait until you've got the best home settled. No one gets their knickers in a knot if kids are out of school while you get sorted, even if it takes you a couple of months. Nothing beats the eyeball test for choosing suburbs and usually the areas people choose are more to do with where they are working than anything else.

[Chortlepuss]

You’ll hear many views about the best place to live and people arguing about the benefits of North of the river or South. Staying central and exploring once you get here is a good move - a lot of rentals near new farm and a great place to be based to explore. Advice I was given prior to coming here was live close to work and commute to beach etc at weekends and holidays. Great advice, as although distances can look small, driving is horrendous with rush hour starting about 6:30 am. Public transport (train, busway, citycat) the only way to get to work in the city unless you want to sit in traffic and pay some of the highest parking charges in the World! So many nice places to live but very quiet as you go further out with little to do bar a few early closing restaurants - people in Brisbane get up super early (gym classes start at 5am) and go to bed early (9pm not unusual) to take advantage of the climate (stinking hot by 9am for much of the year). Good luck with your move!

[WayneM]

On 21/07/2019 at 00:27, Marisawright said:

Don't rush to put them in school, then?  The reality is that it's almost impossible to pick suburbs remotely.   We've seen so many people post here to say they spent hours poring over Google Maps and real estate sites - but once they were able to actually drive round the suburbs, they realised that you can't tell the vibe of a suburb from the internet, and they had to start again. 

You're going to have to book four weeks in a holiday place anyway.

Yes that's what we plan on doing for sure, the only thing that can be done remotely is get a general ideas of areas, schools, journey times.

I reflected recently that actually, in my life I've never actually proactively chosen a place to live before, life events have almost always pointed me in at least a general direction as life events unfold. I suspect that many people are in a similar situation. I don't think I've ever moved without it being about following a job; I guess I have no soul haha

Am I overthinking by asking if there's a reason I've seen a lot of people here pointing out a 4 week initial holiday rental, rather than longer or shorter? I've booked us into a place via airbnb for 3 weeks, and figured we'd play it by ear from there. I was looking at the time it takes to process a medicard yesterday (people like to see that for ID??) at up to 4 weeks and wondered if I'd missed something!

[Marisawright]

10 hours ago, WayneM said:

Am I overthinking by asking if there's a reason I've seen a lot of people here pointing out a 4 week initial holiday rental, rather than longer or shorter? I've booked us into a place via airbnb for 3 weeks, and figured we'd play it by ear from there. I was looking at the time it takes to process a medicard yesterday (people like to see that for ID??) at up to 4 weeks and wondered if I'd missed something!

No, people don't need your Medicare card for ID. You've got a passport, driver's licence, credit card - Medicare is just another alternative. 

If you've booked into an AirBnB for 3 weeks, you're thinking you've got 3 weeks to find a property.  You haven't. You've got 2 days, or maybe 4.   That's because most properties are only "open for inspection"  for 15 minutes to half an hour on Saturdays, and sometimes (but not always) on one other day of the week.   

Try this exercise:   get on domain.com.au or realestate.com.au and pretend you want to inspect some rental properties this week. Mark the ones you think are worth looking at and make up an itinerary to view them all, taking into account travel time between them, time to find parking etc.  How many can you get to see?    Bear in mind that agents routinely photoshop photos, so a lot of the properties you've got on your list will turn out to be unsuitable. 

Also bear in mind that some properties won't be empty - the previous tenants haven't moved out yet, so there will be a delay before you can move in.  Even if it's empty, it'll take a week to do the paperwork even after your application is accepted.

The problem with booking an AirBnB for 3 weeks is that if you need to extend, you may find it's not available and you'll need to move. That may not be an issue if it's just the two of you but with kids, you might want the stability of staying in one place. Also consider that you can often get a bigger discount for a 28-day booking.

 

 

[Bodsy]

Hi Sophie

Just a quick word from an 'oldie' who emigrated in 1983 and has lived north of Brisbane ever since.  There is lots of good advice on these pages.  The North or South debate is a permanent issue around here.  I prefer the north (find it less industrial and easier to negotiate) but I worked down south for many years - colleagues there couldn't conceive of living  on the northside! 

I agree with others that it may take a little while to find the perfect place for you - so you may have to move schools for the children.  However, you are arriving at the start of the last term, which finishes in Dec -- followed by the summer holidays.  By the time school goes back at the very end of January you may have had enough time for a good look around.  

PLEASE don't worry about the wildlife - the spiders are generally harmless - even the enormous huntsman spiders which, I believe, are useful for catching other smaller insects.  We have had more of a problem with ants, which descend in hordes on anything remotely edible - so we all keep our pest control up-to-date. 

In 36 years I have seen only one snake in the wild around here - and that was only a carpet python.  However, the advice to avoid long grass and make a lot of noise is good advice. I understand, as others have said, that some more rural places + the western suburbs are likely to have more snakes.  

That's all for now - will add more later if I think of anything

 

[Sophie Goodall]

Hi Sophie
Just a quick word from an 'oldie' who emigrated in 1983 and has lived north of Brisbane ever since.  There is lots of good advice on these pages.  The North or South debate is a permanent issue around here.  I prefer the north (find it less industrial and easier to negotiate) but I worked down south for many years - colleagues there couldn't conceive of living  on the northside! 
I agree with others that it may take a little while to find the perfect place for you - so you may have to move schools for the children.  However, you are arriving at the start of the last term, which finishes in Dec -- followed by the summer holidays.  By the time school goes back at the very end of January you may have had enough time for a good look around.  
PLEASE don't worry about the wildlife - the spiders are generally harmless - even the enormous huntsman spiders which, I believe, are useful for catching other smaller insects.  We have had more of a problem with ants, which descend in hordes on anything remotely edible - so we all keep our pest control up-to-date. 
In 36 years I have seen only one snake in the wild around here - and that was only a carpet python.  However, the advice to avoid long grass and make a lot of noise is good advice. I understand, as others have said, that some more rural places + the western suburbs are likely to have more snakes.  
That's all for now - will add more later if I think of anything
 

Hi Bodsey,

Wow, thank you for all the information above, it definitely helps give me peace of mind [emoji4]

We are currently packing up our home in the U.K. for which the sale completion will be going through tomorrow, so it’s all become very real very quickly! We’re going to stay with my parents until departure day and we definitely have more stuff than we had thought so some thorough re-packing and a ruthless clear out will need to be scheduled into our last month...

So far we have booked an air bnb for our first month in Fortitude Valley, with it in mind to get to know Brisbane well, and then perhaps move around for our first few months until we find an area to settle.

As for the critters, I’ll be sure to keep well away from long grass! Thankfully I’m quite heavy footed so making lots of noise comes naturally to me. I managed 5 weeks in the campervan and hiking without incident, and everyone has been so helpful and informative on here I definitely don’t feel as stressed about that side of things anymore (although that’s now opened up a whole space of room for me to stress about other things..!)

In all seriousness though, we are both so ready to get stuck in. The next 48 days are going to be long, slow and as the day gets closer, very emotional...still...you really do only live once and if you don’t try, you’ll never know what could have bee, right?

Again, thank you so much for your post, it’s given me lots to think about!

[bundykris]

On 13/03/2019 at 22:51, Sophie Goodall said:

Hi Ramot,

Thanks for this post!

On the subject of cats...we have two fur babies that we would love to bring (but my sister in law would love to keep here), but I found an awful thread on this site about the general attitude towards cats...I most definitely want what’s best for them, and if it means they will be safe and happy in the UK, as much as it would break my heart I’d rather not put them in danger. Both cats are really independent and roam quite freely and happily here (one has made herself quite at home with at least 2/3 other families in our neighbourhood) so I’m wondering how your sons cat has been until this incident, and what precautions we need to take regarding their safety should they be fit to fly? I read that they were generally considered pests, and that the garden needs to be fenced in a way that they can’t get out but I just don’t know how happy they’d be being penned in (not to mention our very own Houdini who will find a way!)

Thanks,

Sophie

Hi Sophie we lived in Australia for 17 years before returning to the UK. The majority of Australians, that we encountered, hated cats. We would never let our cat out. If the snakes and the dogs, kept in yards, don't kill them, then the cat haters will! Motorist would aim for them and a common thing was to poison milk left out in yards! Just our experience, but be warned!!! 

[Toots]

2 hours ago, bundykris said:

Hi Sophie we lived in Australia for 17 years before returning to the UK. The majority of Australians, that we encountered, hated cats. We would never let our cat out. If the snakes and the dogs, kept in yards, don't kill them, then the cat haters will! Motorist would aim for them and a common thing was to poison milk left out in yards! Just our experience, but be warned!!! 

I wouldn't say the majority of Australians hate cats but yes I've met a few folk who really dislike them.  Our neighbours have cats who mooch around outside during the day but are in at night.  A lot of people don't like the way cats poop in other peoples' gardens but they don't bother our garden as our dog sees them off. I have never witnessed anybody aiming their car at them.  That is truly disgusting also the poison milk thing.   Nothing much surprises me about what humans do these days though.  Our neighbours' cats are all in their late teens and never had anything happen to them.  Obviously snakes could be a problem but we never see them  ............. we are on the edge of town.  I saw a woman walking along the beach this morning with her cat on a lead!  From the distance I thought it was a small dog.  It was perfectly happy.   

[Zack]

On 27/04/2019 at 21:58, BacktoDemocracy said:

Do take some notice of the flood maps but you do need to realise that localised flooding occurs everywhere where there are low lying areas, the intensity of the rain is on par with monsoonal rain, the last big flood was partly because the water in the dams at Wyvenhoe was not released early enough and built up so rapidly over 3-5days that when the sluices had to be opened the amount of water that had to be released inundated all along the river, but you will see traditional Queenslanders built up on pilings partly to protect from localised flooding but also to provide cooling air to circulate to keep them cool in summer and bloody freezing in winter.

In the first 18 months you will wonder why everyone is rugged up in the winter and it's 17 degrees and then you will get acclimatised and be wondering why you left all the coats and scarves at aunt Sally's

 

 

On 27/04/2019 at 21:58, BacktoDemocracy said:

Do take some notice of the flood maps but you do need to realise that localised flooding occurs everywhere where there are low lying areas, the intensity of the rain is on par with monsoonal rain, the last big flood was partly because the water in the dams at Wyvenhoe was not released early enough and built up so rapidly over 3-5days that when the sluices had to be opened the amount of water that had to be released inundated all along the river, but you will see traditional Queenslanders built up on pilings partly to protect from localised flooding but also to provide cooling air to circulate to keep them cool in summer and bloody freezing in winter.

In the first 18 months you will wonder why everyone is rugged up in the winter and it's 17 degrees and then you will get acclimatised and be wondering why you left all the coats and scarves at aunt Sally's

 

Whats back to democracy mean?Australia is very short on that. There's a big thing on that at this point time. The new LNP government doesn't believe much in Democracy .It's their bad  laws,what is the problem  you abide with them or be prosecuted and   go to jail.They need to be changed. Australia is virtually a police state, Journalists homes are being raided. Lawyers and Barristers  are being prosecuted for doing their job. This  LNP Government has given powers to the ATO to take funds from your bank account if they believe you have fraudulently falsifying your tax return.But  9 times out of 10 they are wrong.THen you have to get your money back IT's the same with centrelink They claim you have been overpaid they demand you repay it. And it's up to you to prove they are wrong. Again 9 times out of 10 they are wrong. But some people have had their houses repossessed as centrelink say they have been overpaid for 20 years.

[BacktoDemocracy]

13 minutes ago, Zack said:

 

Whats back to democracy mean?Australia is very short on that. There's a big thing on that at this point time. The new LNP government doesn't believe much in Democracy .It's their bad  laws,what is the problem  you abide with them or be prosecuted and   go to jail.They need to be changed. Australia is virtually a police state, Journalists homes are being raided. Lawyers and Barristers  are being prosecuted for doing their job. This  LNP Government has given powers to the ATO to take funds from your bank account if they believe you have fraudulently falsifying your tax return.But  9 times out of 10 they are wrong.THen you have to get your money back IT's the same with centrelink They claim you have been overpaid they demand you repay it. And it's up to you to prove they are wrong. Again 9 times out of 10 they are wrong. But some people have had their houses repossessed as centrelink say they have been overpaid for 20 years.

Because Australia takes its lead from America, look at American treatment of its citizens. Look up debt recovery by govt agencies in USA for debts 10-20 years old. Look at the way the media is dominated by the right in USA

As regards flooding, if you are there since another drought has started you will not have experienced what it’s like when it starts to rain incessantly for days on end and the ground is baked hard and the water just runs off and see the creeks rising and rising.

Edited October 21, 2019 by BacktoDemocracy

[Zack]

29 minutes ago, BacktoDemocracy said:

Because Australia takes its lead from America, look at American treatment of its citizens. Look up debt recovery by govt agencies in USA for debts 10-20 years old. Look at the way the media is dominated by the right in USA

As regards flooding, if you are there since another drought has started you will not have experienced what it’s like when it starts to rain incessantly for days on end and the ground is baked hard and the water just runs off and see the creeks rising and rising.

We lived at Postmans Ridge Qld  during  the 2011 floods ,i know  about  floods it was the biggest  for over 100 years. But believe it or not the idiots in charge of the Wivenhoe  Dam  Should never  have let the  water out all at once ,they should have started  a week before,not wait till  it was nearly overflowing.  That was what caused Brisbane to flood as much as it did. .But the damage and loss of life  in other places could have  been avoided if houses were not  built in  flood areas , if creeks were cleaned out, And not used as  tips. the same  places flood every time we get lots of rain. Our two elderly neighbours were drowned ,their brick highset  house on Murphy's Creek road  was swept away, to this day the slab only remains.You are right .Be careful where you pick to live.We have  not seen any rain for ten months .And we know what follows drought and Fires  Nothing has been done by Council or the Qld Government We are still paying a levy of $58 on our rates for the 2011 flood. .No Flood drains have been dug,and nothing about the  drought And stop the town from running out of water. The dam is running dry. And they have spent millions beautifying the Parks.Instead of sinking Bores.or even another dam. The authorities would rather just hope for rain.And waste Billions.