The Queensland and NSW Floods: How They’ve Impacted on Logistics

Over almost the past 2 weeks, Queensland was hit with severe storm conditions that included heavy rains, cyclonic winds, mini tornadoes and flooding.

With the storm gone, many regional towns throughout Queensland and Northern New South Wales are trying to rebuild as the flood waters slowly reduce and the cleanup can soon begin. Some suburbs around Brisbane have also suffered flooding.

It’s a tragic event that, for many Queenslanders and New South Welshman, is a little too soon considering the floods back in 2011.

Along with all the flooded regions, supplies of produce are also reducing due to those towns that are cut off and a number of roads are still either inundated with water or have been severely damaged/destroyed as a result of the force of the storms.

The floods and logistics

While the damage that was caused by the severe cyclonic winds and mini-tornadoes can now be addressed, the issue that still remains is that of the floods. For many parts of Queensland, roads are still cut off flood water or have been so significantly damaged by the torrents of water that they are impassable.

As a result, many freight truck drivers are either having to take detours that are increasing their usual freight delivery times by an exponential amount or they simply are incapable of reaching their freight destinations. This means that thousands of dollars of produce are spoiling, leading to profit losses and greater pressure on truck drivers who simply can’t complete their deliveries.

Due to this inability to deliver freight, some businesses throughout Queensland and Northern NSW are starting to run low on stock, particularly highly purchased items such as bread and milk. Due to the recent water shortage threats in South East Queensland, bottled water has also been seeing mass purchases that has led to a higher demand that certain logistics companies can’t deliver.

During extreme times like this, it’s important to remember that the logistics industry is just as susceptible to reduced operations like any other business. If the roads are cut off and there’s simply no other route that can be taken to make a delivery, then supply shortages will occur.

But it’s not just the road freight sector that is suffering some delays and potential barriers to freight deliveries. A large majority of rail freight operations in Queensland are currently suspended due to rail lines still being flooded.

Hopefully, most flooding will have reduced by early next week, but it’s important to note that some roads may still be shut down after this due to severe damage. Road freight lines should be improved by next week, but delays could still be a concern. Just like the floods of 2011, it’s going to be a while before life can get back to normal.

To all of those who have been affected by the floods, we hope you are safe and healthy considering the circumstances you’ve had to face. We wish you all the best and hope things return to normal as soon as possible for you.