‘Natural’ disaster

“The term ‘natural disaster’ evokes the idea that the floods were difficult to foresee, and that the resultant damage was caused by factors outside human control, however the flooding experienced was entirely foreseeable, being well within the range of previous and predicted floods.

The damage, injury and loss of life was attributable to human decisions to locate residential housing and key infrastructure on land which was known to be vulnerable to flooding. It’s well-known that the Brisbane River floods. This ‘disaster’ was a planning disaster, not a ‘natural’ disaster.”

Jonathan Sriranganathan (2022) Flood Inquiry Submission

Image: View of South Brisbane during the flood of 1893. Courtesy: Queensland State Archives.