Prime Minister Anthony Albanese warns against complacency as TC Alfred’s approach slows

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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese warns against complacency as TC Alfred’s approach slows

Anthony Albanese has warned against complacency as millions of Australians wait for Tropical Cyclone Alfred to wreak havoc over coming days.

The category 2 system has slowed down its approach, with landfall between the Sunshine Coast and northern NSW now expected to happen late on Friday into Saturday morning.

The Prime Minister, who will base himself in Canberra to spearhead the national response in the coming days, said that “is not at all good news”.

“It is important to stress it’s still anticipated this will cross into land and will reach landfall, it will just do it later. And a risk is of course that in slowing up, it increases in its intensity,” he said from the National Situation Room.

Officials have warned of three separate hazards: storm surges and high tides along coastal communities, severe winds as the system approaches the coast, and potential flash and river flooding into the weekend.

Schools in the cyclone zone are closed today and tomorrow, and Mr Albanese said some supermarkets would also close.

Sixty ADF personnel and 30 high clearance vehicles are pre-positioned to go to Queensland and support the recovery while helicopters are in the area.

The Government has also signed off on early recovery grants of $1 million for affected councils.

Mr Albanese said he planned to be in Canberra for the coming days, saying “it’s probably the best place I can be to make sure that there is seamless activity between NSW and Queensland,” he said.

Questions about whether he will call an election this weekend have continued to dog him, given widespread speculation that he would fire the starting gun this weekend for an April 12 election.

He said his focus right now “is on the needs of Australians”.

“This isn’t a time for party politics. I’m just focused on doing my job in government,” he said.

He said he would travel to Queensland or northern NSW over the coming days “as appropriate”.

“The priority is where I can be most effective, and I’ll be consulting with (Queensland) Premier Crisafulli and (NSW) Premier Minns,” he said.

He will not travel to Perth, as he had been planning to do ahead of this Saturday’s State election.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, meanwhile, is currently hunkering down at his property in Brisbane’s northwest.

Speaking on Thursday morning, he said it had been “eerie over the last few days because it’s been gusty and then it’s just dead still”.

“I think a few people have commented there’s not a bird in the sky, they’ve worked out what’s going on,” he told 2GB.

“I just think people need to take seriously the warnings.”

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