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Linux.conf.au on track despite floods

Although Microsoft Australia was evacuated and gamer favourite Mana Bar has closed its doors in Brisbane today due to the floods, this year's Linux.conf.au conference is sticking to its Brisbane venue.
Written by Luke Hopewell, Contributor

Although Microsoft Australia was evacuated and gamer favourite Mana Bar has closed its doors in Brisbane today due to the floods, this year's Linux.conf.au conference is sticking to its Brisbane venue.

Queensland University of Technology

Queensland University of Technology on the Brisbane River is set to host Linux.conf.au 2011 despite the flooding.(Screenshot by Luke Hopewell/ZDNet Australia)

Linux.conf.au 2011, set for 24 January through to 29 January, is to be held at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) situated on the banks of the Brisbane River.

Shaun Nykvist, director of Linux.conf.au, told ZDNet Australia today that the buildings intended for use at the conference are well above the level of the Brisbane River.

"At this stage, there are no plans to cancel Linux.conf.au," Nykvist said. "It'll just be wet," he added.

Nykvist said that if rising waters did affect the conference, organisers had a backup site in the works.

Water levels on the Brisbane River are currently sitting at 11 metres, almost double the level designated as "major" flooding.

Queensland Premier Anna Bligh addressed the nation this afternoon and told Brisbane to brace for flood waters higher than the 1974 peak of 6.6 metres by Thursday.

Other businesses in Brisbane were not so lucky today. New Microsoft Australia head Pip Marlow revealed that the company's Eagle Street offices were being evacuated.

"Thinking of our Brisbane office — just been evacuated!" Marlow tweeted from her official account.

Microsoft has offered the Queensland Flood Recovery Operations Group technology and help and has committed to a $10,000 donation to the Premier's Flood Relief Appeal and is matching its employees donations to the Premier's Flood Relief Appeal, Australian Red Cross and the RSPCA.

Popular watering hole and gamer haunt, Mana Bar, also shut its doors in light of rising flood waters.

Mana Bar told followers it may not be open due to flooding, before confirming it in a follow up tweet an hour later.

Guy Blomberg, founder of Mana Bar, said that staff already have a plan in place for surviving a potential zombie apocalypse; however, it would play it by ear as the week went on.

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