‘Third World communications’: Qld outback’s biggest weather disaster in 50 years
The Premier jetted into flood-ravaged outback Queensland to announce increased recovery grants and to vow to fight for funding to reinstate crucial infrastructure destroyed in the deluge.
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Premier David Crisafulli jetted into flood-ravaged outback Queensland to announce increased recovery grants and vowed to fight for federal funding to reinstate a new $92m exclusion fence destroyed in the deluge.
The weather event brought on by ex-tropical cyclone Dianne has sparked the worst floods in western Queensland in 50 years.
Rain continued to batter the region on Wednesday as the system moved into the South East and with every river in southwest Queensland already at major flood levels, forecasters warned flooding would be prolonged for weeks.
The Premier, in Longreach with Agriculture Minister Tony Perrett, Disaster Minister Ann Leahy and local MP Sean Dillon revealed flood recovery grants had been increased from $25,000 to $75,000.
He said more than 150,000 sheep, cattle and other livestock were dead or missing across west Queensland.
“That’s 70,000 cattle, 70,000 sheep and 10,000 goats and horses,” he said.
“But you’re dealing with a couple of million beasts in the broader area, so we expect that number to continue to rise.”
Mr Crisafulli said a recently completed $92m exclusion fencing project, which was destroyed in the floodwater, must be rebuilt.
“We will be working with the federal government to explain how important it is,” he said.
“Otherwise we go back to the bad old days of wild dogs roaming free and proud industries being at the mercy of mother nature.”
Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Dean Narramore said heavy rainfall on Wednesday morning would extend flood conditions throughout west Queensland.
“We’ve had an upper trough combine with ex-Tropical Cyclone Dianne to bring these widespread falls overnight and into the morning,” he said.
“The upper catchments of these already flooded rivers received that 50 to 100mm overnight.
“We’ve got every river in southwest Queensland at major flooding now, and we’ll see further rises and prolonged flooding.
“There is so much water already in those catchments that major flooding will continue for more than a month, even if no more rain falls.
“Luckily this system will bring a lot less rain as it moves east, and it will completely shift off this region by Thursday.”
The wild weather felt throughout Queensland through the first quarter of the year has already caused insurance losses in excess of $1.2bn, not including the developing situation in the state’s west.
New data from the Insurance Council of Australia shows insurers have received more than 95,000 claims from the state’s southeast related to damage caused by ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred, totalling almost $1bn. About 30 per cent have already been settled.
More than 10,000 claims have also been received following the north Queensland floods, with damage costs estimated $233m.
ICA chief executive Andrew Hall said a small number of claims had been received from southeast flood victims.
Mr Hall said while only a small number of claims have been received so far for the most recent floods in western Queensland, insurers are assisting customers to help ease stress and uncertainty.
Bureau of Meteorology Meteorologist Daniel Hayes said most towns in the flood-ravaged central west and south west regions have seen a major reprieve today in rainfall, with falls of only 10mm to 15mm recorded in the 10 hours since 9am Wednesday. Upper Warrego was the outlier, recording 50mm, while Biloela copped 100mm in just three hours.
“Flooding will likely be ongoing for a number of days before we see (rivers) drop out of flood range. We are not expecting to see significant rainfall through central west and south west regions,” he said.
“It will be dry as far as rain goes until the middle of next week at least. We’re looking at an easing trend for those areas, but some rivers are still yet to reach some peaks or only just reaching peaks.”
He said the south east has mostly been spared from heavy rainfall, with only light rainfall and potential isolated heavy showers expected over the coming days, but wide bay through to the northern tropics could expect to see significant rainfall as the trough pushes further north.
A Blackall man in his 30s was forced to climb on top of his 4WD after his vehicle got stuck in floodwater near Tambo in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
At approximately 5.30am, the 31-year-old man was travelling to Toowoomba from Blackall to seek surgery for his wounded horse when his 4WD and horse float were swept off the road after encountering flash flooding.
Emergency services arrived on scene and SES deployed a boat. The man and horse were rescued without injury.
Longreach District Disaster Coordinator Inspector Chris Smith said no matter how shallow a road may look, it’s not worth risking your life or the lives of emergency services.
“It may seem like an inconvenience, but by taking the time you need to seek alternate routes, it may just save your life,” he said.
Heartbroken cattle farmer Emily Green said some farm polices for dwellings were not covered for flood.
“This is a huge blow to rural graziers and communities as countless people have lost their homes and will be out of pocket trying to rebuild,” she said.
The continued devastation comes as wet weather moved to South East Queensland, inundating areas still recovering from ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred.
Gold Coast beaches, including Main Beach, Narrowneck and The Spit, remain closed almost a month after ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred carved up the coastline.
On Tuesday night, during large seas, a lifeguard tower that had been teetering on the edge of the destroyed shoreline fell into the surf at Surfers Paradise.
Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate confirmed recent wet and wild weather has delayed works to return beaches to their former glory.
“I gave a guarantee that 80 per cent of our beaches would be open for Easter … that’s a solid guarantee,” Mr Tate said in March
“And if it’s not, you come here, say ‘look Tom, you’re wrong,’ I’ll shout you beer no matter which pub you’re in.”
Now three weeks later, when asked if this was still the case, he said the recovery plan “will take a bit more time”.
Primary Industries Minister Tony Perrett announced an increase to funding for primary producers from $25,000 to $75,000 assistance grants to be made available.
“That will give some comfort to some of the affected communities and affected producers. There’s been a significant cost associated with this obviously livestock losses to date of $150,000, then of course the impact to infrastructure,” Mr Perret said.
AgForce General President Shane McCarthy said the focus for the next few days will be to keep remaining stock alive through fodder drops and took aim at major telecommunications for their “third world communications” across the west.
“Telstra just completely went down and out during these events. Starlink is what they all seem to move to, and they’ve had to drop Starlink into a couple of places so that the couple of people who are stranded have at least got some sort of communication,” he said.
Originally published as ‘Third World communications’: Qld outback’s biggest weather disaster in 50 years
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