James Hansen, a former councillor and One Nation candidate, has been identified as the man who died in flooding on Queensland’s Fraser Coast on Monday. Hansen, aged 57, was discovered unresponsive in Smothering Creek near Boompa shortly after 11 a.m. Emergency services declared him deceased at the scene. Queensland police have initiated an investigation and will prepare a report for the coroner.
Hansen was a dairy farmer and a fourth-generation local resident of the Fraser Coast region. He served on the Fraser Coast Regional Council from 2012 until 2024 and previously held a councillor position on the Woocoo Shire Council from 2004 to 2008. In 2017, he ran as a One Nation candidate, challenging a sitting member of parliament, but finished in second place.
George Seymour, mayor of Fraser Coast, expressed his condolences, describing Hansen as a committed community advocate who was always willing to assist others. “His passing is a great loss to our community,” Seymour said. Paul Truscott, who represents Division 3 on Fraser Coast Regional Council, also paid tribute, recalling Hansen as a straightforward and supportive colleague with a strong dedication to farmers and working-class residents.
The fatal incident occurred amid heavy rainfall and widespread flooding affecting large areas of Queensland between Thursday and Monday. The severe weather led to multiple road closures across southern and eastern parts of the state, including flash flooding at Laidley Creek and Glenore Grove in the Lockyer Valley, west of Brisbane.
Further south, six campers were rescued after becoming trapped by floodwaters at a public campground in Leyburn, Queensland’s Southern Downs. Queensland Fire and Rescue crews specializing in swiftwater rescue safely evacuated the group, which included three men and two women aged between 26 and 71, around 11:15 a.m. on Monday.
The intense rain event produced some of the highest four-day totals recorded across Queensland. Blackdown Tableland near Rockhampton recorded 439.4 millimeters, with Lower Springbrook near the Gold Coast and Nambour near the Sunshine Coast receiving 325.2 millimeters and 314.2 millimeters respectively.
Meteorologist Angus Hines described the weather system as unusual, noting that widespread rainbands, extensive cloud cover, cooler temperatures, and atmospheric conditions in the upper troposphere played significant roles in the storms and flooding.
The Bureau of Meteorology forecasts a return to more typical spring weather for Queensland in the coming days, with hot and humid conditions easing to more moderate afternoon showers and thunderstorms.