OMEN
03-23-2006, 09:12 AM
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Feeling the pain ... John Howard on his visit to Innisfail / AFP
FORMER Australian defence force chief General Peter Cosgrove will lead the Cyclone Larry Taskforce, it was announced today.
Earlier today, Prime Minister John Howard said he understod the frustration felt by victims of Cyclone Larry, but commended the work of relief authorities.
Authorities had been forced to defend their response to the cyclone after angry locals in far north Queensland said aid was not being delivered quickly enough.
Mr Howard, who toured cyclone-ravaged Innisfail yesterday with Queensland Premier Peter Beattie, defended the relief effort so far.
found most people in good spirits although some were starting to feel the strain, and that's understandable," Mr Howard said on ABC radio.
"If you don't have power, if you don't have running water, you think your job may have gone, your house has lost its roof, your furniture destroyed, flood damaged and water damaged, you feel pretty tense and that's very understandable," he said.
The Australian Defence Force has been working closely with other emergency agencies in Innisfail and Babinda to provide food and other supplies.
Mr Howard said the ADF was distributing 16,000 ration packs and 2850 litres of bottled water.
But he said the biggest problem was restoring electricity supplies.
"If more needs to be done it will be done but there is a physical limit to how quickly, with all the will and resources in the world, there's a physical limit to how quickly you can restore power," Mr Howard said.
"The big problem is getting the power back, so much depends on it, the sewerage system is in part dependant on the power system, refrigeration is very important at any time ... that relates to food and I guess to keeping the beer cold ... you've got to keep your sense of priorities and your sense of humour," he said.
Mr Howard commended Queensland Police, emergency services and the ADF for their co-operation in the relief effort.
"There are no rivalries, I want to applaud the co-operation between the state and federal agencies."
"There has been total co-operation, there's no turf wars going on at all, that would be quite wrong for that idea to get around."
Thousands of homes were damaged and crops flattened when the category-five cyclone slammed into the coast near Innisfail, south of Cairns, on Monday morning.
News.au
Feeling the pain ... John Howard on his visit to Innisfail / AFP
FORMER Australian defence force chief General Peter Cosgrove will lead the Cyclone Larry Taskforce, it was announced today.
Earlier today, Prime Minister John Howard said he understod the frustration felt by victims of Cyclone Larry, but commended the work of relief authorities.
Authorities had been forced to defend their response to the cyclone after angry locals in far north Queensland said aid was not being delivered quickly enough.
Mr Howard, who toured cyclone-ravaged Innisfail yesterday with Queensland Premier Peter Beattie, defended the relief effort so far.
found most people in good spirits although some were starting to feel the strain, and that's understandable," Mr Howard said on ABC radio.
"If you don't have power, if you don't have running water, you think your job may have gone, your house has lost its roof, your furniture destroyed, flood damaged and water damaged, you feel pretty tense and that's very understandable," he said.
The Australian Defence Force has been working closely with other emergency agencies in Innisfail and Babinda to provide food and other supplies.
Mr Howard said the ADF was distributing 16,000 ration packs and 2850 litres of bottled water.
But he said the biggest problem was restoring electricity supplies.
"If more needs to be done it will be done but there is a physical limit to how quickly, with all the will and resources in the world, there's a physical limit to how quickly you can restore power," Mr Howard said.
"The big problem is getting the power back, so much depends on it, the sewerage system is in part dependant on the power system, refrigeration is very important at any time ... that relates to food and I guess to keeping the beer cold ... you've got to keep your sense of priorities and your sense of humour," he said.
Mr Howard commended Queensland Police, emergency services and the ADF for their co-operation in the relief effort.
"There are no rivalries, I want to applaud the co-operation between the state and federal agencies."
"There has been total co-operation, there's no turf wars going on at all, that would be quite wrong for that idea to get around."
Thousands of homes were damaged and crops flattened when the category-five cyclone slammed into the coast near Innisfail, south of Cairns, on Monday morning.
News.au