Qld farmers swamped by flooding

Farmers in western Queensland are facing heartbreaking stock losses after 400mm of rain in the space of a week. Louise Hoch from Quilpie has shared her devastation.

Extraordinary rainfall of more than 400mm in a week has swamped western Queensland with untold stock losses yet to be estimated.

The region has been hit with day after day of rain, and even on Friday morning, another 80mm has fallen near Quilpie in an hour.

And locals are pleading for help, judging the deluge as “100 per cent worse than Cyclone Alfred”.

Quilpie district cattle producer and tourism operator Louise Hoch said they had measured 400mm of rain since Sunday, and despite forecasts it could clear today, had received a storm with another 80mm on Friday morning.

Ms Hoch said 85 per cent of their property was under water and levels were still rising.

Their property further north, about 50km from Quilpie, had received nearly 600mm of rain.

She said the impact on stock numbers was unknown but would be high.

“We were able to kayak out to check some stock and they were forced up against a fence with flood waters and could not move, so we were able to put down that fence and they could get to higher ground but we don’t know how they are now,” Ms Hoch said.

Stock being walked to higher ground near Quilpie, in western Queensland.

“We also still have water coming down from further north, and so it could get worse.

“The impacts of this are 100 per cent worse than Cyclone Alfred”.

Ms Hoch said those stock that were on higher ground would also be suffering from the week of wet weather.

“We’ve had a long, dry summer and some of the stock are not in the best condition,” she said.

“We all have to wait – no one really knows how big the stock losses will be.”

Ms Hoch described the floods as “cruel”.

“We can deal with drought and I’d rather deal with drought, but with this amount of rain, there is nothing we can do here for the cattle and it’s devastating.”

Stock losses are yet to be determined.

Ms Hoch said as soon as they could, they would get helicopters to drop hay to stranded stock and called for government assistance.

“All of use will need a lot of help,” she said.

At Thylungra Station north of Quilpie, cattle producer George Scott posted on social media platform X that “I know we will have losses”.

Mr Scott’s station is under water including the homestead complex but said “we are all OK”.