Cyclone recovery effort targets outlying communities

The cyclone relief effort in far north Queensland will extend further into outlying communities in the Johnstone Shire today. Those coordinating the disaster recovery effort say significant progress has been made in Innisfail and surrounding communities.

Electricity is still cut, but food, communications and the water supplies are increasingly available. People are still being advised to boil their drinking water.

It is now 72 hours since cyclone Larry tore much of far north Queensland apart.

Today, helicopters will fly teams of police, local government, emergency services and environmental health officers to outlying communities, all hit hard by cyclone Larry.

The Army is expected to attend to remote areas like the Kurramine and Mission Beach communities, where residents have accused emergency services of neglect.

Residents are urged to meet the teams and advise what form of assistance they still need.

The ANZ bank in Innisfail will reopen with a police escort today, and is the first major bank to declare an amnesty on the repayment of loans.

Prime Minister John Howard has called on other major banks to do the same.

Thousands of people have lost their homes and their livelihoods from Babinda to Cardwell.

After three days of waiting in makeshift accommodation and still wearing the clothes they in when the cyclone hit on Monday, many people are angry that they are still waiting to access disaster relief payments to buy basic necessities.

Two new Department of Community Services centres will open in Innisfail today and 60 additional staff will bolster the dozens already working in Innisfail, Babinda, Atherton and Edmonton.

So far insurers have received about 4,000 claims worth around $90 million.

Companies have sent response teams to the region to expedite claims, but say the level of devastation in some areas means assessments will take time.

The Insurance Disaster Response Organisation says a large number of people have lost everything.

Queensland manager of NRMA Insurance Brett Robinson says claims for damage are being processed as quickly as possible.

Mr Robinson yesterday inspected some of the devastation and says loss assessors are working through 500 urgent claims.

"Clearly the priority is in the short-term to look after people. We've got some basic cash payments that we can EFT into people's bank accounts and we're giving out vouchers for essential supplies so people can get some food and other things," he said.

"But clearly they're the short-term things, the broader issue is around assessing and finalising their claims so they can get on with rebuilding their lives."

Meanwhile, Queensland Premier Peter Beattie says he will consider a special assistance package for farmers whose crops will take years to recover from cyclone Larry.

Mr Beattie visited Atherton yesterday and will travel to Mareeba today.

At a meeting with hundreds of locals in Atherton last night, macadamia growers raised concerns it will be years before their crops produce nuts.

While the state and federal governments have set up assistance for growers who will need help to restart their farms, farmers say they have not accounted for those who may need longer term help to stay in the sector.

Farmers were also calling for wage subsidies so skilled workers do not leave the area.

Mr Beattie says he will put that idea to the Commonwealth but he doubts it will be accepted.

The idea of setting up an emergency radio frequency during diasters to provide rolling information has also been floated.

The State Emergency Services Minister says he will look into it.

Tropical cyclone Wati is still hovering off the north Queensland coast.

The category 3 storm is now 750 kilometres north-east of Fraser Island and is expected to remain near stationary for most of the day before moving slowly south.

The Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre says Wati should remain offshore, but will produce strong winds, large seas and swells.

- RADIO AUSTRALIA