Tropical Cyclone Alfred is expected to bring heavy rainfall, damaging winds and potential flooding to Brisbane and surrounding areas in the coming days. As carers, it’s essential to take extra steps to ensure both your safety and the wellbeing of those you support. Below are preparations to help you stay safe before, during and after the cyclone.

Helpful Resources

Get Ready Queensland
Get Ready Queensland is a year-round program helping all Queenslanders prepare for natural disasters. Being prepared before a disaster hits could be the difference between staying safe or putting yourself in danger.

Create an emergency plan at Get Ready QLD. The easy to follow guide will help you know your risks, make a safety plan and make an emergency kit.

Bureau of Meteorology
Visit the Bureau of Meteorology for regular forecasts, warnings, monitoring and advice.

Local Council
You can sign up to Brisbane City Council’s Severe Weather Alerts here, or visit the following emergency pages: Redlands City Council, Moreton Bay, Ipswich, Logan, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast.

ABC Radio
You can pre-program your local ABC radio station into your preferred digital music service and on your battery operated radio, so that you can tune into warnings if the internet goes down.

ABC Emergency
The ABC Emergency website offers real-time updates and alerts on natural disasters, severe weather, and emergencies across Australia, helping communities stay safe before, during and after crises.

🏡 Preparing your home and staying safe while travelling

✅ Secure outdoor furniture, trim branches, clear gutters and collect
sandbags if needed.
✅ Stock up on essential supplies including water, non-perishable food, medications, torches, batteries and important documents in waterproof storage.
✅ Register for Brisbane Severe Weather Alerts to receive real-time warnings via SMS, email or voice message. You can also download the Weatherzone app for push notifications.
✅ Avoid unnecessary travel during heavy rain and strong winds – stay updated on road conditions at QLD Traffic and public transport changes via Translink.

📍Sand bag collection locations

If you’re in a flood-prone area sandbags are available at:

📍 Brisbane:
Darra – South Depot, 38 Shamrock Rd
Lota – Lota Depot, 58 Herbert St
Morningside – Balmoral Depot, 9 Redfern St
Newmarket – SES Depot, 66 Wilston Rd
Zillmere – North Depot, 33 Jennings St
Acacia Ridge – Mortimer Road Park
Toowong – Old Toowong Bowls Club, Corner Gailey Road and Heroes Avenue
Camp Hill – Whites Hill Reserve, off Boundary Road
Boondall – Boondall Entertainment Centre carpark.

📍 Moreton Bay:
Bunya – Bunya Waste Management Facility
Dakabin – Dakabin Waste Management Facility
Caboolture – Caboolture Waste Management Facility
Redcliffe – Redcliffe Waste Management Facility

📍 Fraser Coast:
Hervey Bay – 10-16 Islander Rd, Pialba
Maryborough – 24 Iindah Rd West, Tinana

🌿 Free green waste drop-off is available at all four Brisbane Resource Recovery Centres to help residents clean up their properties ahead of the storm.

Willawong – 360 Sherbrooke Road
Chandler – 728 Tilley Road
Ferny Grove – 101 Upper Kedron Road
Nudgee – 1372 Nudgee Road

👨‍👩‍👧 Preparing for your family and the people you care for

✅ Ensure you have sufficient medication, mobility aids and comfort items for those you support.
✅ Charge all necessary devices and have a backup power plan in case of outages.
✅ Identify a safe, quiet space for individuals who may be distressed by loud weather events.
✅ Have a communication plan in place with family, friends and any support workers in case of emergency.

If you or the person you care for requires additional assistance during severe weather, contact emergency services early.

🚨 Emergency contacts:

📞 Brisbane City Council: (07) 3403 8888
📞 Moreton Bay Regional Council: 3205 0555
📞 Fraser Coast Regional Council: 1300 794 929
📞 SES (for flood and storm assistance): 132 500
📞 Power outages (Energex): 13 62 62
📞 Life-threatening emergencies: 000
📞 Doctors numbers, save in contacts in case of loss of internet.

🧒 Supporting young people through the cyclone

Severe weather can be unsettling for children and young people especially those with anxiety or sensory sensitivities. Here are some ways to support them:

✅ Explain the situation in a calm and reassuring way. Avoid overloading them with distressing details.
✅ Create an emergency activity kit with books, colouring-in materials and comfort items to keep them engaged.
✅ Encourage open conversations about their feelings and provide space for them to ask questions.
✅ Use age-appropriate resources to help children understand what’s happening. Listen to the free book – Birdie and the Cyclone to assist in conversations with Cyclone Alfred: Watch on Youtube

Advocacy

Future Planning 19 November – Focusing on Rights and Support

Future Planning Workshop: Focusing on Rights and Support – 19 November 2025 Our latest Future Planning workshop, held on 19 November at the Greek Club, brought together carers, families and supporters for an important conversation about rights, advocacy, and planning for the future. This session centred on understanding the systems that shape mental health care and social supports, and how to navigate them with confidence. Championing Rights in Mental Health Services We were delighted to welcome Margaret Murphy, an Independent Patient Rights Adviser (IPRA) working within the Metro South Hospital and Health Service. Margaret’s role is unique: although IPRAs work in public hospitals, they are independent from mental health services, allowing them to offer impartial advice to patients, nominated support persons, families and carers. Margaret explained how IPRAs support people to understand their rights under the Mental Health Act 2016, offer guidance during difficult or confusing periods of care, and help ensure that people feel informed and heard. She shared useful resources, including fact sheets, brochures and videos, which are easily accessible for anyone wanting to learn more. One story she shared captured the impact of this service: “Without the help of IPRA I would have left the hospital and

November 28, 2025 No Comments

Carer Support

Making the holidays easier: support and tips for carers

Making the holidays easier: support and tips for carers The holidays can bring extra stress for mental health carers, especially if the services your person relies on are closed. While everyone is dealing with the usual summer holiday celebrations (and stress), you may find yourself juggling more organising, bigger emotions and more crisis moments than usual. Add in financial, time and family pressures and it’s easy to feel stretched. So how do you look after yourself and the person you care for when a supposedly joyful time feels overwhelming? The good news? You don’t have to go through it alone. Arafmi’s 24/7 Carer Support Line is open every day, including public holidays (call 1300 554 660 or 1800 351 881 from Regional Queensland). We can also offer one-on-one support, depending on staff availability and we’re always happy to be part of your end-of-year wellness plan (more on that soon). Another way we support carers during this time is through our End-of-Year Preparation for Carers workshop. Ben, one of our Carer Support Team members, has been running this workshop for the past two years. He helps carers plan for tricky social situations, practise responses to hard questions and build in small