Advice for QLD services ahead of Tropical Cyclone Alfred 

The Queensland Department of Education, which serves as the Regulatory Authority for the state, has issued advice for early childhood education and care (ECEC) services ahead of the expected arrival of Tropical Cyclone Alfred, which is expected to cross the Queensland coast later this week. 

Services are encouraged to visit getready.qld.gov.au for practical advice to help prepare for the severe weather. Those in the affected areas should listen to their local ABC Radio service and monitor emergency services social media accounts for updates and advice as this situation progresses.

Information about current weather conditions can be found on the Bureau of Meteorology website at www.bom.gov.au. In the event of immediate danger, services should call Triple Zero (000), and are reminded not to cross through flood water (if it’s flooded, forget it.) 

Should the weather pose a danger to staff and children, ECEC services may make the decision to close. In the event that a regulated service closes, the Regulatory Authority must be notified using the steps below: 

• Approved providers must notify the Regulatory Authority of the closure of their service as per National Regulations, r 175 (2)(b), or notify of reopening via the NQA ITS. 
• Further information about how to notify the Regulatory Authority is available on the Early childhood service closures page. 
• If your service is unable to access the portal, please contact your relevant Department of Education regional office.

Services approved under the ECS Act

Services approved under the Queensland Education and Care Services Act can notify by emailing the ECEC Emergency Closures mailbox.

The notification is to ensure families and members of the public can access up-to-date information about service closures via the Service and temporary closure information webpage on the ACECQA website.

Communication for families 

Services will be in regular contact with families during this time to keep them updated about closures and can download and share this social media title to communicate the closure. 

More information

• The Queensland Government’s disasters and alerts provides real-time emergency updates and social media links to vital services and local councils.
• Visit Get Ready Queensland, and follow Facebook, Instagram and X for preparation activities and tips.
• For detailed matters to consider before reopening your service, visit the ECEC webpage on disaster recovery. 

The Sector wishes all our impacted readers safety at this challenging time.