The broadcaster says he had no ‘hydrological evidence.’

Broadcaster Alan Jones has told a defamation trial in Brisbane he had no hydrological evidence to support claims he made on air that the collapse of a quarry caused the deaths of 12 people in the Grantham floods.

Prominent Queensland brothers John, Denis, Neill and Joe Wagner are suing Jones, Harbour Radio, 4BC and writer Nick Cater over 32 broadcasts aired between 2014 and 2015 relating to the floods.

The Wagners claim Jones implied they were responsible for the deaths because they owned the quarry.

The court previously heard the Grantham Floods Commission of Inquiry exonerated the family of any responsibility for the deaths.

Under cross-examination from the Wagners’ barrister Tom Blackburn, Jones said:

“The witnesses (from Grantham) were of the view that the hydrology conclusions were wrong.”

“My concern was that the hydrology reports were not correct, not accurate and therefore, while I accepted what Mr Sofronoff has said, I didn’t accept the conclusions.”

“You had no, first of all, hydrological evidence, at all,” Blackburn asked.

“No, I did not,” Jones replied.

“You had no scientific evidence, expert evidence, of any kind.”

“No, just the evidence of people’s eyes. Witnesses,” Jones responded.

He is due to continue giving evidence on Tuesday.