Queensland flood victims return to muddy homes

Photo / Central Queensland News

Queensland residents, with the help of thousands of volunteers, are about to begin the monumental task of cleaning up their properties as floodwaters start to recede.

River levels are now subsiding and emergency services have revised the number of houses inundated in Rockhampton from 400 down to 150.

The Fitzroy River peaked at 9.2 metres on Wednesday, 20 centimetres lower than forecast, although the city is expected to be surrounded by floodwaters for up to a week.

The weather bureau, however, is warning of more thunderstorms in the state's south-east.

Evacuated victims today began returning to homes caked in sludge, though one sandbagged town watched nervously as a swollen river level crept higher and forecasters warned of more rain.

Some of the 150 people of Condamine went home in a convoy on for the first time since everyone in the small cattle-ranch supply town 300km west of Brisbane, the state capital, was evacuated on December 30 to escape rising floodwaters.

They found the waters gone, but that 42 of the town's 60 houses had been inundated by the flood.

"It's just flattened everything," said pub owner Shane Hickey. "All the grass is mud, all the plants have been torn out of the ground, the trees have gone over and are just covered in silt and mud."

The town still has no drinking water and officials warned of waterborne disease. Local Mayor Ray Brown said electricians, plumbers, portable toilets and water and food were being brought in for residents returning Friday.

In Dalby, east of Condamine, officials said floodwaters were rising faster than expected. The town's swollen creek is expected to inundate yards and a caravan park, but not to enter houses, Brown said.

Authorities renewed warnings for people to stay out of floodwaters, saying they were still dangerous even as they eased.

"I think people often underestimate the awesome power of floodwaters," Queensland Premier Anna Bligh said. "It is a very dangerous body of water. You are only being asked to move for your safety and the safety of your family and emergency workers."

The State Emergency Service received around 350 calls for help on Thursday as storms poured more heavy rain onto the already sodden south-east.

The majority of calls were for sandbags and roof tarps, with flash flooding affecting a wide area.

Reinforcements have arrived from Victoria to assist exhausted SES crews with the Queensland flood recovery.

Team leader David Tucek says they know what to expect.

"We do know it's going to be hot arduous work, there's going to be a high level of emotion."

A group of volunteers from New Zealand is expected to join the recovery effort on Saturday.

Meanwhile, some residents of the hardest-hit Rockhampton suburb of Depot Hill say they feel neglected and abandoned by authorities in central Queensland.

Rockhampton Mayor Brad Carter says lives are being put at risk by the residents who have decided to stay in Depot Hill and says no more food will be sent in.

"They will not be getting resupply of essential services, goods and grocery items," Councillor Carter said.

"This is about the safety of the community, the safety and wellbeing of our emergency services personnel."

He said said it could take 12 months before the town recovered.

Police have not ruled out using negotiators if people are at risk but refuse to leave.

Resident Clayton Johnson says he is angered by the decision.

"If we had million dollar houses sitting up there on the hill they'd be doing everything they could to help us," he said.

"This is the poor area, no one wants to know us. We're just the low life of the earth."

Nearly 4000 people across Queensland have been evacuated from their homes since driving rains that began just before Christmas left much of the region under a sea of murky water. Around 1200 homes have been inundated, with another 10,700 suffering some damage in the flood zone.

The total cost of the floods is not yet known. Bligh has said the price of rebuilding homes, businesses and infrastructure coupled with economic losses could be as high as A$5 billion.

- RADIO AUSTRALIA, AP