The damage of Ex-tropical Cyclone Alfred in northern New South Wales and south-east Queensland has blown a billion-dollar hole in the nations coffers. That is the message the Treasurer has delivered ahead of this week’s federal budget. Compounding that message is a warning that Alfred should be treated as a ‘dress rehearsal’ for even more powerful cyclones predicted to hit further south. There are growing calls for homes as far south as New South Wales to be built to a cyclone standard.
