Logan businesses are joining a chorus of dissent over council’s handling of new flood maps.
Incoming Logan Chamber of Commerce president Rhiannon Elton said small businesses would soon start to feel the consequences of the new mapping.
“It’s devastating for many business owners who feel frightened for their livelihoods,” she said.
“This mapping will hurt small businesses through their rising (insurance) premiums. They’re already suffering enough from the spike in the cost of living.”
Ms Elton said 99.7% of businesses in Logan are small businesses.
“The reason they started their businesses was so they could be part of the community around them and have time to pursue what they love,” she said.
“Every time anyone buys from them it goes into a home. Not a corporate bank account. When you buy from local businesses it is going to someone’s children’s soccer club or dance lessons.
“It goes to a garden or an artist. It goes to a sausage sizzle on the weekend that brings a whole community together. It also means you know the person who you’re buying from. You may live next to them. Your kids might go to school with theirs.
“That connectedness in the community means someone is looking out for you, and I think after years of being divided we all need to feel like we are part of a strong, healthy community.”
Ms Elton said the way council delivered the news about the map changes, if at all, was “abhorrently robotic.”
“This is a city of great heart and it breaks mine to see the council act so coldly,” she said.
“I do believe that throughout Covid many of us learned that connectedness, kindness and compassion were the best principles to move forward on and normally the council follows that well.
“Our division leaders and many of the admin staff are some of the most involved in the community and they’re passionate about helping us and working with us. I think that’s why it felt particularly shocking and tactless to receive such dire information like we did.”
Councillor Jon Raven has taken aim at the debacle, saying some businesses found out from people other than council.
But it seems many Logan businesses still haven’t been notified at all.
A couple of businesses in Paul Court, Jimboomba, were until last week blissfully unaware of any changes to their street on the map.
Map changes show a vastly different story for the quiet cul-de-sac.
Co-owner of F45 Jimboomba, Michael Manley said he was unaware of the changes until we told him.
“As we are on such an elevated area, I feel the risk of flooding is close to non-existent and would wipe out the entire suburb to get that high,” he said.
“We lease this property, so we aren’t concerned about the resale value, but our insurances may go up.”
Mr Manley said he worries about the infrastructure in Jimboomba.
“My main concern is how a town that is almost 180 years old is now sustaining flooding to areas not previously affected,” he said.
“The infrastructure is highly underdeveloped for the growth of the area, there is constant damage to the roads and bridges caused by not only flood water but general rainfall and the massive increase in traffic.
“I have concerns and questions to the huge amount of development and the impact this has to the topography and how flood waters behave. Are corners being cut regarding flood safety and infrastructure in the name of progress and huge amounts of new subdivisions?
Ms Elton said council needed to do more to protect Logan homes and businesses.
“I think many local businesses believe that this could have been avoided with better funding into our creeks and waterways to allow adequate drainage,” she said.
“As someone who has been intimately involved in community events on land that is greatly impacted by recent flooding, I’ve seen the huge difference it gives to the water level when the surrounding land is taken care of properly and not just left to become overgrown lantana and reeds that block the water flow.
“The council may not be able to control the global climate, but they can accommodate the drains and water channels to protect the homes and businesses of the residents of Logan.”
Ms Elton said there needs to be “more assistance and initiative from our local government to flood proof properties and businesses going forward.”
Ms Elton encourages residents to attend Logan Chamber of Commerce’s next meeting on December at IKEA at 7am to voice your concerns.
