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BRISBANE - Police have stepped up patrols on the waterlogged streets of Emerald in Queensland's central west after looters ransacked a number of houses left vacant by evacuees during this week's flood crisis.
Residents living in the town's northern parts have returned to their homes after they escaped unscathed, but 166 houses and 97 units - mostly in the town's south - remain under water.
Police are investigating reports of break and enters at a number of evacuated home units between Tuesday and yesterday, and are even patrolling some streets in canoes.
Locals have reacted angrily to the burglary reports, with Emerald Shire mayor Peter Maguire describing the culprits as "the lowest form of scum".
Five complaints are currently under investigation but the number could rise as residents return to their homes, police said.
Meanwhile, essential supplies are being sent to isolated areas in the region, while the main road into Emerald, the Vince Lester Bridge, is set to remain closed until at least Sunday afternoon with the Nogoa River slowly receding.
The central Queensland city of Rockhampton is now preparing for flood, with the Fitzroy River predicted to peak at 8.2m there on Tuesday.
A disaster management centre will be established in the city today.
The damage bill from flooding, which has affected 72 per cent of Queensland, is quickly mounting, with farmers having lost at least $80 million in damaged crops, infrastructure and livestock along the Nogoa River, rural group AgForce said.
The federal government has offered grants of up to $10,000 to those living in disaster areas, under the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements (NDRRA).
- AAP
