State Recovery Coordinators confirmed to lead efforts following Tropical Cyclone Alfred

Colonel Justin O’Connor (Retd) and former Brisbane City Councillor Peter Matic have been appointed State and Deputy Recovery Coordinators to oversee the challenging job ahead in the wake of ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred.

The men will be responsible for identifying the specific recovery needs of impacted communities, giving updates and advice about recovery operations to government, and leading the development of a State Recovery Plan.

Mr O'Connor and Mr Matic will work hand in glove with Queensland Reconstruction Authority CEO Major General Jake Ellwood (Retd), himself a former State Recovery Coordinator who led recovery operations after the 2022 Queensland floods.

A press conference introducing Mr O'Connor and Mr Matic as the new State and Deputy Recovery Coordinators was held earlier today at the Gold Coast Disaster and Emergency Management Centre.

South-east Queensland has been devastated by ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred, with the system dumping more than a metre of rain on the region.

The destruction caused by the cyclone and subsequent tropical low left hundreds of thousands of SEQ residents without power, forced business closures, and severely damage public assets and amenity, including the road network and the south-east's famed beaches.

Communities from Southern Downs to Bundaberg are facing a massive clean-up that will take many months to complete.

The immediate focus of recovery from the cyclone is to ensure supply chains and restored, debris is removed and community safety restored, and those affected have access to the support they need.

The State Recovery Coordinators are also determined to get the word out far and wide that south-east Queensland remains open for business ahead of the Easter holidays.

Working closely with governments, industry and business operators is fundamental to this goal, and both men have the right credentials for the job ahead.

Mr O’Connor has extensive experience in tourism, business and insurance, as well as government and military planning, while Mr Matic brings years of community governance, policy and project expertise to the role having served as a Brisbane City councillor for 16 years.

With a week of travel ahead visiting impacted SEQ communities, Queensland's newest State Recovery Coordinators are hitting the ground running.