Obama offers sympathy to flood victims
US President Barack Obama has called Prime Minister Julia Gillard to offer his condolences for the deaths and damage caused by flooding in Queensland.
US President Barack Obama has called Prime Minister Julia Gillard to offer his condolences for the deaths and damage caused by flooding in Queensland.
Mr Obama "expressed sympathy for those who have died, suffered injuries, lost their homes or businesses or been displaced by the devastating floods that have struck Australia in recent weeks," the White House said in a statement.
The US president "reiterated the offer of US assistance for Australia's own strong disaster response efforts, and said that as the flood waters receded, the US stood ready to support our friends in Australia in recovering from this tragic natural disaster".
Prime Minister Julia Gillard the federal government will work with the US on what help it can offer as Australia recovers from devastating floods.
Ms Julia Gillard said Mr Obama had rung her to say he was thinking of Australia "at this very difficult time'' as it battled a major natural disaster with floods over much of the eastern seaboard.
"President Obama wanted me to convey his best wishes to the people of Australia as we deal with these floodwaters,'' Ms Gillard told reporters in Grafton in flood-hit northern NSW.
"I've discussed with President Obama the circumstances in Queensland and the scale of the devastation and the loss of life that we've seen in Queensland.
"President Obama has confirmed an offer already made by the United States of America to provide any assistance that we need at this difficult time.
"I've specifically spoken to President Obama about the kind of assistance we might need as we move into the recovery phase and we will be working with the United States on their expertise which may be able to assist us in this period.''
Ms Gillard said that included "expertise that can come to the Australian military about the kind of manpower and specific capability they may have to assist Queensland as it moves into reconstruction and recovery''.
"We know that a lot is going to have to be done to bring roads back into functioning order, railways lines back into functioning order and we will be talking to our American friends about that kind of assistance,'' she said.
Agencies