Extreme Weather Conditions

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS (Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety) (14:19): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS: Before I begin, I would like to once again take the opportunity to provide my thanks to the dedicated men and women of our state's emergency services. I am confident when I say that I can speak for everybody in this chamber, and indeed all South Australians, when I express our deep gratitude for the dedicated service they provide to keep our state safe.

The state is currently enduring a weather event of significant severity, including unprecedented occurrences, such as the twin tornadoes observed near Blyth in the Mid North. This weather event was caused by a number of separate incidents that combined to lead to a power outage across the whole state. Before I continue, I would like to acknowledge that while power has been restored to more than 90 per cent of the state, there are parts that remain without power, particularly in the north and Eyre Peninsula.

Similarly, as the situation is ongoing for people in those regions, the weather event is also continuing across the state. Through the middle of today in Adelaide, we have been in what the Bureau of Meteorology describes as a lull. However, forecasts from the bureau indicate more storm fronts will strike the state this afternoon and into the evening. As a state and as a community, we need to maintain our levels of preparedness as we start to clean up from the effects of earlier storm fronts.

I am advised that at 12.15pm today, a private dam to the north of Greenock broke. The SES issued emergency warnings to the township, urging people in the Greenock area to closely monitor local conditions for the risk of flooding. At 1.45pm today, the SES also issued a flood emergency warning for the Clare and surrounding areas, as water levels continue to rise in the Hutt River. Locals should check and follow their emergency flood plans and prepare for flooding in their area. Move items of value to a safe place. If your plan is to leave or you are not prepared, consider leaving now. Only leave if you are certain that the path is clear to a safer place. With all floodwaters, the message is always the same: if it's flooded, forget it.

Severe hail struck in multiple locations across the state, including Cleve, Cowell, Port Broughton and Snowtown, while gale force winds lashed multiple locations across the state. The state has also been battered by destructive winds, with gusts of over 100 kilometres per hour, sufficient to break transmission lines by severely damaging more than 20 transmission towers, with some even torn from the ground. Compounding the problems with transmission lines being pulled down near Port Augusta, I can report that there were lightning strikes directly hitting power generators. Approximately 80,000 lightning strikes hit the state.

The severe weather has required emergency services responses across the state. Over 1,000 taskings have been received across the State Emergency Service, the Metropolitan Fire Service and the Country Fire Service. Flood salvage, trees down and storm damage responses have been required across South Australia. My advice is that the Government Radio Network is performing well through this incident, with no interruption to voice services. As with any major incident, performance of the network will be continually monitored.

Local SES impact assessments are currently being conducted in Gilbert Valley and Blyth, with first responses due this afternoon. As I stated earlier, the weather event is ongoing. I call on South Australians to remain vigilant and encourage people to prepare for further impacts. Since Monday, some 300 tonnes of sand and 155,000 sandbags have been distributed from SES depots. I am heartened by the efforts people have taken to prepare themselves for this extreme weather. In addition to this event not yet being complete, the Bureau of Meteorology also advises that additional rainfall is forecast for the coming Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. With this rainfall coming to already saturated catchments, flooding risks will again be monitored.

The work of our volunteers through what must be the busiest winter on record for storms and flooding has been exemplary. I cannot thank our volunteers and the men and women who combine to help our communities in times of emergency enough for their valuable contribution.