Dozens of people have been rescued from floods in chaos stretching across Brisbane, the Gold Coast and parts of NSW.

Tropical Cyclone Alfred approaching, the Gold Coast's decades-old hidden rock wall acts as the city's line of defence against a surging ocean, according to an engineering expert.For about 50 years, the Queensland government has had a policy that meant seawalls must be constructed along the "A-Line".

Ex-tropical Cyclone Alfred has been downgraded to a tropical low, as it approaches Australia’s eastern coast. Although the speed at which Alfred is travelling has slowed, Brisbane locals have been sent a stark warning of what might be to come.