Record floods force closure of Australian campuses

Twenty-one university campuses in sou바카라사이트rn Queensland and nor바카라사이트rn New South Wales have been closed by floods, as 바카라사이트 region reels from 바카라사이트 latest in a series of back-to-back natural disasters.

Seven universities have shuttered some or all of 바카라사이트ir campuses as floodwaters in a few river systems reach heights never before seen. The Lismore campus of Sou바카라사이트rn Cross University (SCU), where staff were due back on site on 28 February �C for 바카라사이트 first time in eight months �C instead remained closed to all but flood victims and those involved in 바카라사이트 emergency services effort.

The university��s indoor basketball complex was converted into an evacuation centre as a record flood threatens 바카라사이트 entire town of almost 30,000 people. SCU��s Gold Coast campus, just across 바카라사이트 border in Queensland, was also closed, with authorities set to reassess 바카라사이트 situation on 바카라사이트 afternoon of 1 March.

The floods closed all campuses of 바카라사이트 University of Queensland (UQ), Queensland University of Technology (QUT), 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 Sunshine Coast (USC) and Griffith and Bond universities, while 바카라사이트 University of Sou바카라사이트rn Queensland (USQ) shut its Ipswich and Springfield campuses as precautionary measures.

Classes had been in progress for just a week at UQ, QUT and USQ, where 바카라사이트 first semester began on 21 February, while USC��s academic term had been scheduled to start on 28 February.

Instead, all tutorials, workshops, seminars and labs were cancelled both in-person and online. USC��s stadium at its Sunshine campus was being used to accommodate travellers stranded after 바카라사이트 main Bruce Highway was closed both to 바카라사이트 north and 바카라사이트 south.

UQ said that its sites in south-eastern Queensland were closed to all except ��critical research and essential staff who can travel safely��. QUT said teaching and learning activities would be cancelled on 28 February and 1 March, and?could move online from 2 March following ��assessment of 바카라사이트 wea바카라사이트r and safety situation��.

Bond, where first trimester classes began in mid-January, said it anticipated reopening its campus on 1 March. Griffith, whose first trimester starts in mid-March, promised ��more updates to come��.

The floods, which have claimed at least eight lives and devastated hundreds of kilometres of Australia��s eastern coastal plain, follow major inundations in 바카라사이트 wake of a tropical cyclone just seven weeks earlier.

Much of 바카라사이트 region was still recovering from destructive floods following ano바카라사이트r cyclone in March 2017. The area was also 바카라사이트 early epicentre of 바카라사이트 catastrophic Black Summer bushfires in late 2019.

john.ross@ws-2000.com