Griffith, UQ, Southern Cross, QUT, Bond and many other institutions with campuses in the path of Cyclone Alfred have braced for impact today.
Critical Response Teams have been activated and campuses closed in the expected path of the cyclone, with staff advised to work remotely where possible. Griffith University has pledged to email staff and students with campus updates and also post on social media channels to keep their community updated, with other universities in the impact zone following suit.
While cyclones have historically been rare this far south, Unimutual CEO Geoff Henderson advised last year that flooding and cyclones could become regular events at some campuses as a result of climate change.
“Our thoughts are with all the staff and students in southern Queensland and Northern New South Wales as they prepare for the arrival of Cyclone Alfred,” Mr Henderson said.
“This is really a stark reminder of the impact climate change is having on campuses right now, and the importance of planning to avoid or mitigate damage to protect staff and students, as well as valuable research equipment.
“Insurance is the last resort measure that institutions need to protect themselves, but we work with members across Australia to plan to avoid damage in the first place where possible – for example putting research equipment on a second or third floor in flood prone areas, or looking at the design of new buildings to try to strengthen them in recognition of the extreme weather we are unfortunately seeing.
“This is critical for institutions in 2025, not just something on the agenda for planning days to think of in the far-off future. It’s great that institutions are increasingly doing really innovative and effective work to plan to avoid or reduce the impact of weather-driven disasters wherever possible.”
