Parts of Brisbane continue to be impacted by floods time and time again. Questions have been raised as to whether Brisbane can be somehow 'flood-proofed'. QLD and NT manager for the Planning Institute of Australia, Nicole Bennetts told Bill McDonald on 4BC Mornings, "We've got an urgent need for more of the right homes, but we need to make sure they're in the right places so that future residents are safe from these future floods." "I raised the idea that our settlement patterns need to change over time. What that means is a retreat from extreme hazard-prone areas," Ms. Bennetts continued.

The Brisbane City Council has declared to evict the Brisbane homeless community out of the city's parks. According to councils, crisis accommodation has been offered and refused, homeless advocates dispute those claims.  Housing Minister Sam O’Connor told Bill McDonald, "Every person that we can engage with we are trying to get into this emergency accommodation."

Paul Slater from Northwest Community Group has responded to claims from the Brisbane City Council that the homeless community are knocking back offers of emergency accommodation. Paul Slater told Bill McDonald on 4BC Mornings, "They are not being offered accommodation, we need to be very clear about that." "They haven't been offered accommodation, they've been sitting outside of offices, they've been talking to charities, they've been waiting and waiting and waiting and they are not being offered accommodation."

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner has declared that the Brisbane homeless community would be given 24 hours to leave the city's public parks, to bring the standards in line with the Moreton Bay Council.  Lord Mayor, Adrian Schrinner told Bill McDonald on 4BC Mornings, "When you look at people living in tents in parks, you assume that they've got no options... But we're seeing that that's not actually the case anymore. "Maybe a couple of years ago, it was the case when all of the accommodation was full and there was no crisis accommodation, but now the State Government's telling us they do have crisis accommodation available and it's being knocked back."

The prospect of a minority government looms over the upcoming federal election as pre-polls grow increasingly close. Former Labor Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon told Bill McDonald on 4BC Mornings, "We need to turn crisis into opportunity." "The crisis of a hung parliament doesn't have to be ugly," Fitzgibbon continued.

As Donald Trump rejects a tariff exemption for Australia experts are warning that Australia needs to lift military spending, and spend it more efficiently. Director and Founder of Strategic Analysis Australia, Michael Shoebridge told Bill McDonald on 4BC Mornings, "We're clearly not funding our own military successfully." "But the bigger problem is if we spend 3%, it needs to be spent better than the defence organisation is spending it now," Shoebridge continued.

Music Icon and activist, Bob Geldof is celebrating the 40th anniversary of the legendary Live Aid concert. An Evening with Bob Geldof: Songs and Stories from an Extraordinary Life is coming to Brisbane on April 1 at QPAC. Bob Geldof joined 4BC Mornings with Bill McDonald to preview the show, and share extraordinary stories, from an extraordinary life.

Southeast Queensland is on high alert for flash flooding as the after effects of Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred continue to be felt. Logan Mayor Jon Raven told Bill McDonald, "Right now the the Albert River is falling at Beenleigh, which is great news." "[We're] just keeping our eye on what's happening on the Logan River, especially at the Waterford Bridge," Mayor Jon Raven continued.

The Sunshine Coast region has been slammed with rain overnight. Sunshine Coast Mayor, Rosanna Natoli told Bill McDonald on 4BC's Special Coverage, "One of the areas, Diamond Valley had more than 350mm."

Queensland Premier, David Crisafulli has delivered an update on recovery payments and the road to recovery for Queenslanders in the wake of Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred.

Spokesperson for Energex, Danny Donald joined Bill McDonald on 4BC's Special Coverage to provide an update on widespread power outages across Southeast Queensland due to Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred.

Storms have been heading west through Ipswich and the Lockyer Valley as deluge continued in the aftermath of ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred, leading to flash flooding in the early hours of this morning. Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding told Bill McDonald on 4BC's Special Coverage "We are expecting a peak this afternoon from the BOM, so there will be flooding of homes and businesses."

Bus services resumed this morning; however, some areas of Brisbane are flooding. Councillor Ryan Murphy told Bill McDonald, "In Brisbane, we're a bus city. Two thirds of all public transport trips are taken on a bus. Queensland Rail are still out of action today. So if it wasn't going to be our buses, it was going to be nothing." "So yes, we came into service, but we were watching very closely the weather conditions and ultimately we made the decision that, look, there wasn't going to be many people out in that kind of torrential rain using the services anyway," Councillor Murphy continued. 

There has been a briefing from Emergency Management Queensland at Kedron.  Acting Queensland Police Commissioner Shane Chelepy said, "Members of the public and motorists are within the declaration were urged to stay indoors and do not drive unless necessary." An update from QFES: "It is still a very live risk of flash flooding and a potential threat to life, so please follow that advice and stay safe and make good decisions." An update from Energy Queensland: "There's currently 320,000 premises or businesses that need reconnecting. We'll continue to work hard over the coming days to do so."

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli has provided an update on the unfolding weather situation impacting Southeast Queensland. On schools, the Premier said that by 5pm, every school in the impacted area will have an individual status as to whether they will open.

Logan Mayor Jon Raven joined Bill McDonald on 4BC's Special Coverage to provide an update on Logan.

Miriam Bradbury from the Bureau of Meteorology joined Bill McDonald on 4BC's Special Coverage to provide the latest update on the weather.

Danny Donald from Energex joined Bill McDonald to provide an update on the current situation across the southeast as 321,000 customers are still without power.

Acting Police Commissioner, Shane Chelepy joined Bill McDonald on 4BC's Rolling Coverage to provide an update on the emergency response to ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred.

The coastal swell surrounding Cyclone Alfred is wreaking havoc on the South Coast beaches. Nine News reporter Tim Arvier is reporting from Currumbin, and told Bill McDonald on 4BC Mornings, "The erosion is just extraordinary."

With a cyclone approaching, many are wondering what to do in a medical emergency, or when caring for the medically vulnerable during a weather event. President of the AMAQ, Nick Yim told Bill McDonald, " So the key thing is obviously if people are having an emergency, having a heart attack, a stroke, please call 000." "If you are unwell, if you're not sure, we have set up a virtual emergency care service across Queensland, which is brilliant. Their number is 13 Health or 13 43 25 84," Dr Yim continued.

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli has addressed the public in a press conference to provide an update regarding the latest on Tropical Cyclone Alfred.

Tropical Cyclone Alfred is predicted to make landfall on Saturday as it continues to move towards the coast at a snails pace. Anthony Cornelius from Weatherwatch told Bill McDonald on 4BC Mornings, "I think that edge is probably the one that we'll certainly be watching because that's likely to have those really significant wind gusts occurring." "That said, the western and southern edge of this system is particularly the strongest." "The Gold Coast, Bayside and Logan areas are probably going to really bear the brunt of this," Mr. Cornelius said.

The 2022 floods in Brisbane resulted in more than 240,000 insurance claims with a total value of $6 billion. With Tropical Cyclone Alfred approaching, many are preparing for the possibility of doing these insurance claims all over again. Sarah Orr from Compare the Market told Bill McDonald on 4BC Mornings, "It doesn't hurt to take photos, because insurers will be assessing lots of claims." "If you have evidence that your property was damaged, then you may be able to pass through the process a little bit faster."

As Cyclone Alfred moves closer to the coast everyone is concerned about how much longer we’ll have access to power and electricity.  Many have reported getting scam messages from Energex to say that they will be turning the power off before the cyclone hits.  Danny Donald from Energex told Bill McDonald on 4BC Mornings, "We are certainly not turning any power off as the cyclone crosses the coast, we will have power until Mother Nature tells us we don't have power anymore."

City of Moreton Bay Mayor, Peter Flannery joined Bill McDonald on 4BC Mornings to discuss Moreton Bay refuge centres, sandbag depots and the most at risk when Cyclone Alfred makes landfall.

The Australian today reports that Wiradyuri Traditional Owners Central West Aboriginal Corporation has helped facilitate a secret state heritage application to declare the peak of Mount Panorama a sacred site. Shadow Minister for the Environment, Jonno Duniam told Bill McDonald on 4BC Mornings, "This is absolutely ridiculous."

4BC Mornings was contacted by numerous listeners regarding the safety of the homeless community as Tropical Cyclone Alfred looms. Paul Slater from Northwest Community Group told Bill McDonald on 4BC Mornings, "I've just come from Musgrave Park and we've got the Department of Housing, Council, police, we're all there working together." "We've all got a plan." "We're pulling down tents, we're moving everyone up to the offices of Micah, who are going to be trying to put people into hotels, and we've got evacuation centres ready to go," Mr Slater continued. 

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese joined Premier David Crisafulli and Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner to provide an update on Tropical Cyclone Alfred.

Southeast Queensland is preparing for unprecedented weather as Cyclone Alfred looms off the coast. Power supply is a concern for Queensland residents. Energex spokesperson Danny Donald told Bill McDonald on 4BC Mornings, "At the end of the day we are ready for whatever it throws at us." "The flooding is the dampener on the issue in terms of moving crews around," Donald continued.

As Cyclone Alfred is poised to hit Southeast Queensland later this week, eyes are on Seqwater and what they plan to do about our dams after the events of the 2011 floods. We learned this morning that they are watching and waiting to see if the rain falls before making “controlled, gated releases later this week if required.” Premier David Crisafulli has urged them to be transparent and upfront with Queenslanders on how they come to their decisions. Emma Thomas, CEO of Seqwater told Bill McDonald on 4BC Mornings, "We are keeping an eye on not just our gated dams, but also reminding everyone that we have 25 dams across South East Queensland and those dams are largely full currently and we expect will fill quite soon." Regarding pre-releasing water from the dams, Ms Thomas said, "Pre-releases are just not the appropriate response for this moment.”

Brisbane is being warned to prepare for a rare direct hit from Tropical Cyclone Alfred as it continues its southerly journey off the Queensland coast. There's a number of local events that may be impacted including the Wayne Bennett Cup at Suncorp stadium scheduled for this friday. General manager of Suncorp Stadium Alan Graham told Bill McDonald on 4BC Mornings, "we've got a pretty comprehensive plan to deal with emergencies like this." "I suppose the distinction with this one, from what we've been through in the past, is that we're actually dealing with a cyclone this time, not just with floodwater."

As Tropical Cyclone Alfred looms off the south-east Queensland coast Queenslanders have been warned to prepare for the heavy rainfall and strong winds.  Luke Bradnam from Nine Weather joined Bill McDonald on 4BC Mornings to preview what could be expected.

Step Outside with Paul Burt starts tomorrow from 6am to 8am. Paul Burt joined 4BC Mornings to preview what is coming up on the opening weekend of the show.

Both sides of politics have weighed in on US President Donald Trump's slip where he indicated that he did not know what AUKUS is. Michael Shoebridge from Strategic Analysis Australia told Bill McDonald on 4BC Mornings, "I think your listeners have got it right to say let's not put too much weight on one comment in one meeting." "I'm not sure it was a gap, I don't think he's turned his mind to it. But in one way, he hasn't had to yet," Mr. Shoebridge continued.

The 2025 NRL season kicks off in Las Vegas this Sunday with the Canberra Raiders taking on the New Zealand Warriors, followed by premiers Penrith tackling the Cronulla Sharks. They’ll join English Super League giants and a women’s international as a celebration of Rugby League in the States. Peter Psaltis from Wide World of Sports told Bill McDonald on 4BC Mornings, "It is absolutely fantastic seeing Rugby League in the entertainment capital of the world."

A number of people belonging to a faith group have been sentenced to many years behind bars over the death of a young girl in Toowoomba. The faith group, which was likened to a cult in court, does not believe in medicine – which some members have described as “witchcraft.” Director of Cult Consulting, Raphael Aron joined Bill McDonald on 4BC Mornings to provide an insight into how cults begin and how they are able to recruit vulnerable people.

Yesterday, the City of Moreton Bay announced that they have repealed their ‘Persons Experiencing Homelessness Camping Framework’, making it illegal for all people to camp on public land, consistent with other local laws. Mayor of Moreton Shire Peter Flannery told Bill McDonald on 4BC Mornings, "The policy framework was restricting what we could do in dealing with some of these people and trying to get them support and accommodation." "The community overwhelmingly told us that want action taken, that they've had enough of people abusing compassion from the community so we said we have to pull the guidelines."

On the weekend, Elon Musk sent an email to millions of federal employees at multiple US government departments requesting they list their achievements in the past week. Tammy Tansley, workplace culture and leadership expert joined Bill McDonald on 4BC Mornings to discuss how this might unfold if attempted in Australia.

Bill McDonald visited Victoria Park, the focal point of the Olympic stadium debate to see what the locals had to say about the rumours that the park is the preferred site for a new venue.

The Mount Isa council is looking to governments for a $2 billion investment to save the city amid fears of economic and social losses when Glencore shuts down copper operations later in the year. CEO of Mt Isa Council, Tim Rose told Bill McDonald on 4BC Mornings, "It's got a pretty big impact." "We've got a lot of really good projects that modernise the town and move it away from a one-trick pony, with one mine," Rose continued,

It has been revealed that tens of thousands of federal public servants will be let go under a Coalition plan to uphold the billion-dollar medicare pledge. Former Queensland Premier, Campbell Newman told Bill McDonald on 4BC Mornings, "The spending on the public sector... has reached an all time high, and we actually are suffering." The former premier also weighed in on rumours that Victoria Park is the preferred site for the Olympic stadium saying, "I'd be deeply disappointed."  

Early rumours are suggesting that the preferred option is for a new stadium at Victoria Park. Rosemary from Save Victoria Park Advocacy Group called in to 4BC Mornings and told Bill McDonald, "If the bulldozers roll into Victoria Park, there will be problems."

US President Donald Trump has clashed with Maine Governor Janet Mills, claiming 'we are the federal law' in response to non-compliance with his executive order on transgender athletes. It has become clear that the Trump 2.0 administration is vastly different from the first. Professor Aiden Warren from RMIT told Bill McDonald on 4BC Mornings, "I don't care where you are on any side of the politics, whether you're left, moderate or right. This is really a significant, real challenge to democracy."

The Albanese Government and the Coalition have both pledged to throw $8.5 billion into Medicare to boost the rates of bulk billing. President of the Australian Medical Association Queensland, Dr Nick Yim told Bill McDonald on 4BC Mornings, "I guess at this stage, it really looks like the Government has only promised an increase in the bulk billing incentive." "But the underlying issue is actually the initial Medicare rebate...and that hasn't changed for decades, and that hasn't kept up with inflation."

Richard French from the 4BC Newsroom joined Bill McDonald to discuss what you have missed around the world this week, including King George the Fifth's missing head found on a barbecue and how far would someone go to fake an assassination.     

Podcasts have surged in popularity in recent years, with notable interviews with political leaders, and now we're seeing a similar trend in Australia. Controversial reality TV star and podcaster Abbie Chatfield has sat down with the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, on her podcast It's a Lot Podcast. Bill McDonald said on 4BC Mornings, "What was said in the podcast, it's nothing out of the ordinary and there probably wasn't anything shocking." "She just agreed with pretty much everything that he had to say, and not challenging him on much at all," Bill continued. 

We heard the story a while back about rideshare drivers repeatedly refusing to pick up Victorian woman, Paula Hobley, after she booked and let the driver know she was travelling with her Guide Dog, Vonda. Paula lodged a complaint to the Australian Human Rights Commission alleging discriminatory treatment by Uber and its drivers, which has now progressed to the Federal Court. Chris Littlewood lives with vision loss and uses a Guide Dog and he joined Bill McDonald on 4BC Mornings to discuss his similar experience.