Hinchinbrook floods 2025: Lower Herbert community praised as floodwaters rise

The officer in charge of Halifax Police praised the flood-struck Lower Herbert community as the swollen river again began to rise on Thursday.

Senior Sergeant Gio Tantalo, the officer in charge of Halifax Police. Picture: Cameron Bates

The officer in charge of Halifax Police has praised the flood-struck Lower Herbert community as the swollen Herbert River again began to rise on Thursday.

In his first interview since the beginning of the disaster on February 1, Sergeant Gio Tantalo said there were far too many people who had stepped up in times of adversity to name individually.

“People have stepped up in the community and volunteered, helped with recovery, helped with delivery of necessities, yeah, I am very proud to be part of this community.”

Halifax has again been cut off from the Hinchinbrook community with flooding on Musgrave Street on the Ingham approach to the town and Anabranch Bridge via the Bruce Highway.

Additionally, the seaside communities of Taylors Beach and Lucinda have been cut off from Halifax.

Pictures of flooded on Musgrave Street on the Ingham approach to the town of Halifax during the peak of the flooding early this month. Picture: Coral Gard

Sergeant Tantalo said properties were not currently under threat but the township was expected to be left isolated until Saturday.

“We are expected to hold at this level (around 5.4m) for a period of around 24 hours plus, and we are also waiting on a possible peak, another small spike, in water levels … although we don’t expect it to be a big spike … before things recede.”

He said Halifax at the peak of the disaster at the start of the month had suffered a 5.7m flood.

“Many reported (floodwater) levels that they had never seen before and water entering locations where it had never been before so it was a type of flood that was quite different for us down here,” he said.

“There was a combination there of flash-flooding, localised flooding, and then we have the riverine flooding come in behind that so it was an accumulation that gave rise to that almost 5.7m.”

Pictures of flooded on Musgrave Street on the Ingham approach to the town of Halifax during the peak of the flooding early this month. Picture: Coral Gard

Sergeant Tantalo said a number of homes in Taylors Beach and about six in Halifax had been flooded, with around a dozen homes in Macknade with “considerable inundation”.

Homes in Lucinda had also been inundated during flash-flooding, he said.

The experienced officer said it was the largest flood event he had experienced, including Cyclone Yasi.

“I would say the most significant I would say in my 14 plus years I’ve been here.”

He said the flood-affected and isolated Lower Herbert communities were generally holding up “very well”.

“We’ve had resupply take place of food, bread and more recently milk by air and by sea, especially into Lucinda and Taylors Beach … and also the resupply of petrol and diesel … which I think has been effective considering where we are at now.”

He said Swift Water and SES crews, one of each, based in Halifax had been kept busy “undertaking many rescues, some medivacs, welfare checks and people needing urgent medication”.

“Both Swift Water and SES flood boat crews have been quite busy.”

The road linking Cordelia and Halifax in the Lower Herbert was cut on Wednesday. Picture: Evan Morgan

Sergeant Tantalo, supported by two additional police officers from south-east Queensland, said there had been moments when it had become “a little bit hectic at times”.

“Mainly because of the unknown, when we had our first peak of around 5.7m I was very unsure what would happen, so there was a lot of checking and monitoring and making sure things were in place for a worst-case scenario.”

He said there had been “minimal” reported crime, “which I am really glad to say”.

“There have been some minor thefts: fuel, alcohol,” he said.

“Unfortunately there has been some concern out Lucinda regarding ‘peeping Tom’-type activity, which I hope doesn’t lead to (more significant) crime.”

Originally published as Hinchinbrook floods 2025: Lower Herbert community praised as floodwaters rise